


Brothers of Oath

by MissForeverRebel



Category: Backstreet Boys
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-23 19:01:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 66,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20013265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissForeverRebel/pseuds/MissForeverRebel
Summary: Oath/ōTH/noun1.a solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one's future action or behavior.An oath can mean different things to different people. It's what you do with that oath that matters. They took an oath to serve and protect, to always put others before themselves, especially when it came to looking after each other. But in the end...is that really enough? Was it ever?





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Sighing almost silently under his breath, Luca Giacomo directed his decrepit black Honda Accord around a corner onto the cracked tarmac of the lower east side Bay Area district. It was all but deserted at this time of night, save for the occasional rumble of a car traveling the length of the over pass above, but he hastily switched the vehicle's headlights off anyway. Not that doing so would benefit concealing his presence from any curious onlookers. The engine was an obnoxious level of loud and the exhaust pipe had the habit of horrendously blowing at the worst moments possible. And that was on a good day.

It was almost too late. The thought had nervous beads of perspiration forming along his hairline. Luca would have been at the meeting spot in plenty of time, early even, if it hadn't been for his wife's incessant bitching when he was trying to walk out the door. If it wasn't one thing, it was another, but it almost always resorted back to money. The bills were piling up. They barely had food. There wasn't enough money. There was never enough and Luca's ungrateful bitch of a wife had a knack for rubbing it in his face as if all of their problems were his fault.

Luca should have divorced her a long time ago, but he couldn't afford the costs of that either.

Bringing the car to a slow rolling stop under the over pass, Luca sunk back into the seat as he stared out into the swimming shadows closing in around him. His eyes had a hard time adjusting to the poor lighting, or lack thereof. It also didn't help that he'd been born with less than satisfactory vision and the sweat-smeared glasses he wore were going on ten years past the due date of having his prescription updated.

Luca Giacomo was the poster child for having been dealt a shitty hand in life.

The angry roar of the Honda's engine faded into the still of the night as Luca withdrew the keys from the ignition and hesitated before opening the driver's door. It screeched in protest and Luca cringed as the sound echoed around him. Pathetic excuse for a set of wheels.

Scattered pebbles from the broken pavement crunched beneath the soles of Luca's dirt stained sneakers as he forced himself from the vehicle, bringing with him an old navy duffel bag that had seen better days. It had been tempting to direct his car onto the interstate to take the fastest route out of the city after leaving his shoddy apartment, but Luca knew better. They would find him before he could even leave the city in the dust of his rear view mirror because what was in that bag held a value worth far more to them than Luca's life.

Leaving the driver's door open, Luca took an apprehensive step away. His eyes flitted quickly to survey his surroundings, but it did nothing to calm the turmoil of his nerves. It was that sitting duck feeling that always got to Luca during moments like these. Even as his vision adjusted to the darkness of the night the best it could, it left him feeling no more secure than he had prior to exiting his vehicle.

Was he too late? Had he actually missed the window for the meeting time?

God forbid, Luca thought with nervous worry. The Boss wasn't one of understanding when it comes to excuses for being late. The last deliverer had learned that the hard way, as Luca had seen reported on the evening news months before about a body washing up on shore on the banks of the upper North side. The Boss sent the notice out afterwards to make clear the consequences. Luca has quivered at the thought, almost like he was right then.

But he had made sure he had left with plenty of time to spare before the meeting was to take place. Even with the way Lucia had cornered him at the door way for a solid thirty minutes before Luca managed to squeeze past her, he had allotted himself more than enough time. The drive had been short too. Luca had just wanted to get his mind in order prior.

So...where the Hell were they?

"You're late."

Luca's head snapped in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. He squinted through the dark to make out the vague outlines of several individuals of who he couldn't rightly identify. "Where's Charlie? He's supposed to be here for the pick up."

"Charlie's a little "tied up" right now," another voice spoke and the sound of it caused Luca's blood to run cold through his veins. He'd only ever heard it a handful of times before and only a few times more had he seen the face of the person it belonged to. Just the fact that Luca was hearing it now, he knew something wasn't right.

The Boss was rarely present for deliveries and when he was... Luca took a step back at the thought, but the movement was barely noticeable.

"Like Jax said," the voice continued. "You're late."

"I- No, I got here right when I was supposed to," Luca stuttered in response before he realized what he was doing. He regretted the mistake as quickly as the words had left his mouth. You were late if you weren't early.

"Luca...Luca...Luca..." the voice taunted slowly in a sing-song manner that made the man on the receiving end want to throw up violently. "You know my policies, Luca."

Swallowing thickly, Luca held up the duffel bag in a desperate attempt to keep hold of his bravado. He tried for an angle of distraction. "It's all here. The money and the whole load. I counted it five times."

The Boss stepped into view within the little bit of natural light that filtered in under the over pass. With eyes that were cold and emotionless, Luca found him impossible to read and even more intimidating with the way he nodded vaguely for two other individuals to step forward without a word.

Luca watched them draw near, only one of which he recognized. Maddox, the one who had gotten Luca involved with the Boss's business in the first place. And the other, Luca could only assume it was Jax, though he couldn't be sure. He wasn't even positive if there were any others down there with them.

Maddox yanked the duffel bag from Luca's grasp, causing him to stumble backwards from the force. He stared at him pleadingly, but Maddox made no effort to establish eye contact. "I promise, man, it's all there," he assured with a voice that betrayed him towards the end.

Hastily unzipping the bag, Maddox dug inside momentarily before looking back at the Boss with a confirming nod. "It's all here."

"At least you didn't prove entirely worthless tonight," the Boss shrugged with a click of his tongue against the roof of his mouth. It almost made Luca relax just a little, until the Boss motioned again and Jax swiftly drew Luca's arms behind his back in a secure hold he couldn't fight against.

"I said it was all there!" Luca yelped in surprise.

The Boss moved towards Luca steadily until he was mere inches from his face. "We have a problem, Luca," he stated in an eerily calm voice. "And when we have a problem, I get very grumpy."

Maddox brushed past Luca and Jax with the duffel bag, carrying it towards the SUV they had arrived to the over pass in. Luca pitifully watched him retreat, but Maddox made no effort to turn and speak on his behalf.

"I...I don't understand," Luca stuttered, his eyes shifting back to the Boss.

"Oh, but I think you do, Luca," the Boss countered. He reached out and roughly gripped Luca's chin to assure they didn't break eye contact in the moment. "You've been talking. You know how I feel about talkers."

Luca began to shake his head in a vehement manner, understanding exactly what the Boss was implicating. "I haven't been talking!" he insisted. "Who told you that?! They're lying!"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" The Boss tightened his grip on Luca's chin, digging the nails of his fingers into the man's golden tanned skin. The tone of his voice alone commanded the fear that began to reflect in Luca's eyes. "Clearly you're not as smart as Maddox said you were."

"But-" Luca surveyed the area for Maddox, the only lifeline he felt like he had in that moment, but the man was nowhere to be found. And looking back at the Boss, Luca knew there was no reasoning his way out of the matter.

The Boss released Luca's chin and turned from him to pace a few steps away. "You see," he continued causally a few moments later after the tension filled silence had mounted. The calmness in his voice was chilling. "My sources say you've been running your mouth around the city about some of my operations."

Luca tugged against the hold Jax had on him, but the man was stronger, causing Luca to grimace at the way his arms twisted behind his back. "None of that is true!" he insisted as his heart began to hammer wildly in his chest. "I wouldn't betray you like that!"

Turning methodically, the Boss revealed the gun he was carefully fitting with a silencer. "It's funny you say that," he mentioned with a short chuckle. "Because that's exactly what you tried to do."

Luca felt the breath leave his lungs as Jax knocked him down onto his knees. "No, no, no, wait-"

Stepping back over, the Boss crouched down beside Luca, assuring he had his full attention. "Did you really think you and Charlie talking about going to the authorities would work out for the two of you?" he questioned. "I have eyes and ears everywhere, Luca. Everywhere."

Luca yelped again as Jax released his arms, only to grab a fistful of his hair and yank his head backwards. He couldn't hide the fear of realization in his eyes.

"Charlie didn't surprise me. I kept him around for too long," the Boss spoke with a shrug of his shoulders. "He was scum and was always more of a liability than anything else. But he had a sharp mind and he was fast. You, on the other hand... I'm disappointed in you, Luca. You had potential."

The cold metal of the silencer pressed against Luca's left temple and if it wasn't for the fact that Jax was holding him upright by the grip on his hair, Luca would have collapsed into a heap. He didn't even have time to be embarrassed about the weak sob of despair that escaped his mouth. "Please, I'm begging you-"

The sound of the gun firing was lost to the silencer and the muffled rumble of a car traveling the length of the over pass above. Jax released Luca's hair and allowed his lifeless body to crumble sideways onto the cold pavement.

Standing without regard, the Boss stared down at the man whose life he had just carelessly ended. "Why do they always have to beg?" he scowled before unloading two more shots into Luca's head, for good measure, he decided. "It's so annoying."

Jax gruffed his agreement, but it was at that moment that Maddox chose to rejoin them.

"Do me a favor the next time you want to waste my time with another useless recruit," the Boss told Maddox with a sharp glance. "Don't."

Affording a brief look down at Luca's lifeless body, Maddox nodded. "Yes, sir."

The Boss ran a hand through his hair as he turned from Jax and Maddox to start moving towards their SUV. "Clean this up. And make it quick."

"Any requests?" Jax called after him.

The Boss paused momentarily, allowing a small grin of satisfaction to form on his face. "Toss him in the bay. The fish are hungry tonight."


	2. Chapter 1

Waking with a start, Nick Carter's eyes snapped open and he groaned immediately from the intrusive light streaming in through the large scenic window across the master bedroom. He wasn't sure what had awoken him so abruptly, but he became quickly aware of the fact that his head was pounding something fierce and it wasn't long before the room jumped on the carousel and began to teeter in a spin around him.

Swallowing a curse, Nick heavily rolled over onto his stomach and attempted to burrow his head beneath the mound of down feather pillows to reclaim his grip on what little bit of sleep remained available to him. It was a useless effort, though, as the smell of liquor, cheap perfume, and sex...lots of sex flooded his senses.

As much as the muddled smell made his stomach churn and awoke him further, Nick found himself grinning fondly as he recalled his impromptu sexually-charged escapade from the night before. The skin upon skin and tangling of limbs had been an invigorating hot mess that Nick had needed desperately and it did him good. More than good, even.

Didn't matter none that Nick couldn't recall the woman's name the following morning. Who was it this time? Rachel? Jillian? Bec? Hell if Nick knew. He probably didn't even bother himself to ask for a name. Usually, he didn't. That was the least of his concerns in finding and conquering a conquest. He was only ever interested in what the next whore on a long list of whores could do for him physically. And god did whoever she was deliver.

Big tits and a big ass--exactly how Nick liked them. Nick wasn't known as a tits and ass man for nothing.And eager. The more eager they were, the easier it was for Nick to convince them to do what he wanted to do. Vocal was another definite plus--Nick liked to hear them scream as he had his way with them. The girl from the night before was a definite screamer, among many other things.

Nick sighed with satisfaction, feeling the residual after shocks of pleasure return to his body as he recalled his recent tryst. The vibrations traveled to his core, enough that it began to awaken his very essence and the urge to dip his hand beneath the satin sheets draped over his lower half became hard to resist.

All he needed was a moment, just a touch to take him back-

The pounding on the front door downstairs yanked Nick back into the less satisfying aspects of what was his actual reality in the moment. So that's what had woken him up in the first place. His groin ached from the betrayal of denying himself touch, but as the pounding on the door became louder, more insistent, and harder to ignore, Nick released a string of curses and threw the satin sheet away from his body.

"Hold on, for fuck's sake!" Nick shouted through his irritation as he sat up on the edge of the bed and placed his throbbing head into his hands. To say he was hungover would have been an understatement, as was evidence enough by the empty bottles of liquor and beer littering the bedroom floor. At least it had been worth it, not that Nick probably wouldn't be doing it all over again that night. Another whore with a different face, so long as they were the entire package Nick desired.

Nick's routine had not changed since the day the divorce with Lauren became legally official.

Running his hands through his disheveled hair, Nick finally forced himself onto his feet. It took a moment to become acclimated to being upright once again, but once he was sure he wouldn't fall over and the room would eventually stop spinning around him, he retrieved his boxer briefs from the floor where he had discarded them the night before and haphazardly slipped them back on as he stumbled out of the room.

"I said to fucking hold on, damnit!" Nick shouted again as the pounding persisted. He paused just briefly at the bottom of the staircase when he took notice of a pink lacey little number that had been strung there on the end post, probably in his sloppy attempt to undress his conquest as they ventured up the stairs. Nick never bothered to take much care with where their articles of clothing ended up. It wasn't the first time he was left with a "trophy" item and it sure as Hell wouldn't be the last.

Snickering to himself, Nick stepped off the bottom stair and trudged over to the front door. Not caring that he was hardly clothed and presentable in the moment, he grabbed hold of the handle and yanked the door open in annoyance with a mouthful of choice words. In fact, he began to speak without even really taking notice of who was standing on the other side. "Haven't you ever heard of having some fucking common courtesy and not bang on someone's door at the ass crack of dawn?"

"Hate to break it to you, Nicky, but it's after noon."

Nick blinked with a scowl and focused his gaze on Brian Littrell, his assigned partner on the detective force and at any other time one of his closest friends and really the only person he considered family. Either way though, Brian wasn't exactly who Nick cared to be seeing at that moment in time. The amused smile on the shorter man's face was enough to make Nick slam the door shut if he could think fast enough, which Brian seemed to take notice of because he quickly put his hand out to prevent the front door from shutting.

"You look like Hell," Brian noted, brows raised in question.

Swallowing a sigh, Nick ran a hand over his face. "The Hell do you want, Brian? I was trying to sleep."

"Really?" Brian gave Nick a quick once over, his partner's haggard appearance not escaping him. And then he stated bluntly, "You stink like a cheap hooker working the corner outside of a liquor store. Kind of look like one too."

"Fuck you," Nick grunted before he turned back into the house. He didn't wait long enough to see if Brian was going to follow. The footsteps trailing him into the kitchen a moment later was enough of a tell all. "Listen, man, I've got one Hell of a headache and a lack of patience to be dealing with your bullshit right now."

Sliding himself onto one of the bar stools at the kitchen island, Brian watched the man in front of him stumble around, clumsily trying to grab a mug out of the cupboard before turning to grab the half full pot of coffee. Brian grimaced; if he knew his partner as well as he thought he did, then he knew the pot of coffee was at least three days old by that point. Nick had a horrible habit of brewing the drink and slowly making his way through it to nurse his daily "headache" that came in the aftermath of a night of hard drinking. Or a weekend binge. Sometimes Brian wondered if Nick was doing more than just hitting the bottle, but he had never been able to get him to admit to such, despite his suspicions.

"Rough night?" Brian questioned casually when it was obvious Nick would offer no information without a fight.

Nick swallowed the shot of cold bitter coffee in one gulp, grimacing as he fought back a cough of retaliation. "Yeah, it was 'rough' alright," he chuckled, allowing himself a moment to regress back into the memories.

Brian shook his head, catching the sarcasm laced in Nick's voice. "What was her name this time?"

"Hell if I know," Nick dismissed. He placed the empty mug in the sink and turned to find Brian staring at him pointedly. Scowling, Nick leaned back against the edge of the counter, arms crossing over his chest. "What? Just because your old woman has your dick hooked by ball and chain doesn't mean I have to lay down and die. Not everyone is a prude like you are."

Pursing his lips tightly together, Brian held his hands up in defense. "Your behavioral choices lately have been...a little more concerning."

Nick rubbed at his temples, clenching his eyes shut to keep his frustration at bay. "For fuck's sake, Brian..."

"All I'm saying," Brian carefully continued, "Is that ever since Lauren left, you've been acting more reckless-"

Nick's eyes darkened as they narrowed and Brian realized he had hit a raw nerve. "Don't fucking talk to me about Lauren, you understand?"

Brian let the silence gather to diffuse the tension that had accumulated. He flit his eyes around the kitchen, taking interest in the god-awful looking cat clock hanging on the opposite wall, the one that had the swinging tail and the crazy big eyes that swiveled back and forth. Lauren, Nick's ex-wife, had hated the hideous thing and constantly nagged Nick to toss it in the trash. But for some reason, God only knew why, Nick had taken a fancy to the clock and part of Brian figured he also kept it just to spite Lauren. It was one of the many fires that lit the short fuse of their tumultuous relationship towards its bitter end.

But tumultuous didn't even begin to accurately describe the fallout that had become of Nick and Lauren's marriage. It was far from perfect from the start, flawed to a fault and doomed before it even began. It was a wonder to any who knew the couple that the marriage lasted as long as it had, so it came as no surprise to Brian when Nick, while in a drunken rage, called him in the middle of the night a year prior to tell him Lauren was filing for divorce.

And though Brian would never admit it to Nick, he was more than thankful to see their marriage dissolve. The toxicity between the couple was damaging and on more than one occasion had threatened Nick's position as a detective on the force. It left Nick distracted and prone to mistakes that were inexcusable. If it hadn't been for Brian doing damage control with their captain, he would have been without a partner a long time ago.

Only now, Brian feared for the choices Nick had taken to making. Granted, his partner had always been a bit on the reckless side, even when they were younger. Considering Nick's rough upbringing or lack there of, Brian had tried to take Nick under his wing like an older brother would, had they really been brothers. It was because of Brian that Nick even considered joining the police force, eventually moving on with the two of them promoted to detective status with impressive regards.

They made one Hell of a team, that was for sure, but there were times now when Brian found himself doubting just how much longer Nick would be able to hold on by a thin thread before the pressure became too much. And Brian...well there was only so much damage control he could continue to do before what he had to say was no longer enough.

Frankly speaking, Brian was getting a little tired of enabling his partner by always cleaning up his messes when he failed to show up to the precinct for call time.

Turning his back to Brian, Nick looked for one of the spare packs of cigarettes he kept laying around. He found them a few feet away and snatched them with a jittery hand. "Do me a favor," he muttered as he pulled a cigarette out of the pack and stuck it between his lips, lighting it quickly. Exhaling the puff of smoke, he focused on Brian again. "Stop bothering yourself with what I choose to do on my own damn time. I'm not your charity case you get to use to make yourself feel better because you don't get enough action between the sheets from your old lady."

Brian snorted inwardly. "Feel better now that you got that off your chest, princess?"

"You're a fucking dick," Nick retorted.

"Yeah, well," Brian shrugged. "I'm the dick who once again saved your ass today when it came to the captain because you failed to show up for call time again."

Nick mimicked Brian's shrug as he took another drag off the cigarette, but the motion was dripping with sarcasm. "Whatever. I'm taking a shower."

"Good, because you're not getting in my car stinking like that."

"Keep running your mouth, little man, and I'll make you buy me breakfast on the way to the precinct," Nick threatened as he jabbed the cigarette out in the nearest ash tray, although his tone was considerably lighter in nature by that point.

"At the rate you're moving, old lady, we'll be lucky to make it there by dinner time," Brian returned with a smug smirk.

Rolling his eyes, Nick flipped Brian the finger before heading toward the kitchen doorway. "I'll be down in ten."

Brian knew it would be much longer than ten minutes before Nick was actually ready. So, he waited until Nick had disappeared before he got up from the bar stool and made his way back out to the car to get comfortable and wait.

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

"God, your driving gets worse the older you get," Nick grimaced as Brian brought his black Mercedes-Benz AMG GT to a slow rolling stop in his reserved parking space outside of the city precinct an hour later. It was an honest miracle that Nick had managed to keep his stomach from redecorating the expensive leather interior during the drive, let alone before they had even backed out of the driveway. "I can't believe your old woman actually trusts you enough to let you drive this thing, let alone buy it for you. Fuck, I knew I should have married a lawyer like you did."

Brian withdrew the key from the ignition, running his hand against the smoothness of the steering wheel proudly. "Nicky, my boy, you wouldn't be able to handle a set of wheels like this," he told him with a smirk in his direction as the other man remained slouched down in the passenger seat with a pair of aviator Ray-Bans covering his eyes. "That's a skill set you'll never have."

Nick grimaced, rubbing at his forehead. "Very funny. Remind me again...who is the little bitch in yours and Leighanne's relationship?"

Chuckling as he rolled his eyes, Brian reached over and pat Nick's chest. "C'mon, time to put your big boy undies on and face the captain. Let's get it over with and I'll buy you a Happy Meal for dinner."

"Touch me again and I'll punch you in the face," Nick muttered as he shoved Brian's hand away from him. Grimacing again, it took all he had within him to force himself to sit upright. If it wasn't for the aviators at that moment, Nick was certain he would have been footing the cleaning bill to get rid of the remnants of his drinking binge from the previous night. He couldn't even stomach the coffee Brian had stopped to get him on the way. And the sun was one bright sonofabitch that afternoon.

'Fuck me...' Nick thought and pushed open the passenger door. He stepped out into the humid warmth of the late summer afternoon and fumbled to shut the door behind him. Brian was at his side in seconds, his smug grin enough to make Nick's annoyance rear its ugly head once again. "For fuck's sake, Brian, would you seriously just wipe that grin off your face already? You act like you were freshly fucked this morning."

Brian stepped ahead of Nick a few paces, whistling innocently.

"And I think I just threw up in my mouth. Thanks, asshole," Nick muttered to himself. Sighing, he brought the cup of coffee he'd been holding the entire time up to his lips and swallowed a small sip, hoping his stomach wouldn't reject it like his stomach has been threatening just because of the smell. "You guys act like a bunch of rabbits. It's a wonder Baylee's an only child."

"Okay, for one, Mr. Man Whore, that's like the pot calling the kettle black," Brian retorted as they neared the back entrance door of the precinct. "Two, I'll have you know that Leighanne and I enjoy a very healthy and satisfying sex life."

"I don't need to know that!" Nick pushed past him to reach the door first. He entered his personal ID code on the keypad and waited to hear the electronic buzz of the door unlocking before he tugged it open.

Brian followed Nick inside, nodding in greeting at a couple of patrol officers that were exiting at the same time. "What's wrong, Nick? You think you're the only one in the world who enjoys sex?"

"Anyone ever tell you you're an annoying sonofabitch?" Nick questioned rhetorically. Entering the main lobby of the precinct, he ignored any chance of social interaction by quickly moving toward the elevators, jabbing his finger against the call button when he reached it.

Stepping up beside him, Brian pat Nick on the back. "I'm telling ya, man, it was good. You should see some of the ways Leighanne can move...how flexible she is...the way she uses her mouth to-"

"I'm going to be sick." Nick sharply pulled away from Brian and turned to the nearby trashcan. He barely made it with his head hanging over the opening before he felt the sting of the bitter bile surge up his throat.

When he was confident enough that he had spit the last of the bile out of his mouth, Nick stood up straight and ran the back of his hand against his mouth to get rid of the evidence. That's when he noticed a couple of rookie officers smirking in his direction as they passed by. "The Hell you looking at?" he snarled.

Brian tugged him by the arm into the elevator. "Stop looking for a fight," he said.

"Pansy ass little motherfuckers," Nick responded, jabbing his finger against the button that would take the elevator up to fifth floor. "Thinking they're these big hotshots now that they graduated the academy and made it onto the force. Most of them won't even last the first year."

"Y'know," Brian replied, his eyes lifting upward to watch the floor count move as the elevator began to ascend. "You were one of the worst of those hotshots, fresh out of the academy. Got you desk duty more times than I can count."

"Dude, I was a badass," Nick countered.

"Sure you were," Brian chuckled as the elevator door slid open. He stepped out first. "If believing that is what it takes for you to sleep better at night."

Nick opened his mouth with a sharp retort that was the only thing keeping him from knocking Brian onto his ass in the middle of the lobby of their department's floor, but the barking voice of their angry captain interrupted Nick before he could get a single word out.

"Carter! Littrell! My office! Now!"

Brian shrugged back at Nick. "I tried to warn you."

The two of them made the trek across the floor, ignoring the snickers of several of their fellow detectives, and filed into the captain's office without a word.

Captain Halverson slammed the door shut behind the two detectives and pointed at two of the chairs in the room. "Sit," he barked again and made his way to sit behind his desk. His dark brown eyes narrowed in Nick's direction as he scrunched his nose. "Jesus, Carter. You smell like you bathed in a bottle of whiskey."

"It's my new perfume, sir," Nick answered him sarcastically before batting his eyelashes. "Do you like it? I wore it just for you."

Brian cleared his throat as he nonchalantly dug the heel of his boot into the top of Nick's, hoping to diffuse the other man's irritation and keep him from saying anything he would later regret. "I'm sorry, sir. We got here as quick as we could."

"I guess we should be thanking Carter here that he decided to show up at all," Captain Halverson continued, intentionally ignoring Brian's hollow pleasantries to show that he was far from done with tearing into Nick due to the man's consistent tardiness. And by the looks of it, the captain's patience was becoming little to none. "God forbid he be expected to do the job this precinct pays him to do."

"Ah, gee, cap. Aren't you just a ball of sunshine today," Nick smirked. "But really, it was nothing. I had me some free time and thought to myself that I bet the captain could benefit from seeing this pretty face. So here I am."

"Nick..." Brian mumbled in warning.

Captain Halverson's posture stiffened and the irritation in his demeanor became more pronounced as his shoulders squared. His tone remained calm and authoritative, but Brian could tell the captain's patience was thinning quicker by the second. "I know you consider yourself to be quite the comedian-"

"Just keeping my options open if the detective gig doesn't work out," Nick interrupted with a serious face. He smiled sweetly before adding, "Sir."

"Keep this attitude up and that will happen sooner than you think," Captain Halverson gruffed. "I've had it up to here with your lack of consideration for this department. I don't run a lazy force, nor do I stand to tolerate the blatant disregard you seem to have for the integrity of this precinct. You are riding a thin line, Carter. A very thin line. You either get your act together or you will find your ass out on the streets. Do I make myself clear?"

Nick continued to smile sweetly. "Yes, sir. Crystal clear."

The door to the captain's office opened and much to Brian and Nick's surprise, they watched as Harrison Rinard, Chief of Police, strolled in with a manilla folder in his hand. Captain Halverson didn't at all looked surprised to see their superior, but Nick sent a questioning glance in Brian's direction who could only shrug in response.

"Gentlemen," Chief Rinard greeted with a brief nod as he handed the folder to Captain Halverson.

If ever there was a superior that intimidated Nick more than Captain Halverson could try to, it was their Chief of Police.

Harrison Rinard had been with their particular precinct longer than Nick had been alive, which was saying quite a bit, especially since rumor of his impending retirement had been making the rounds through the precinct for quite a while. He was a towering individual and stalky in stature with short cropped salt and peppered hair that complimented the wrinkles of time at the corners of his eyes. His gait commanded the respect of all who encountered him, which is probably how he had managed to hold his position as Chief of Police for so long.

Chief Rinard turned his attention on Brian. "You're looking well, Littrell. How is your wife?"

Brian offered their chief a tight smile that left Nick wondering why his partner was so uncomfortable right then. "She's doing well, sir. Made partner at the firm earlier this year."

"And your son? How old is he now?" Chief Rinard inquired.

"Sixteen, sir. Turning seventeen this November. Straight A student. Captain of the football team."

And there it was...that shit-eating proud grin of his partner's that made Nick want to throw up once again. To listen to Brian brown-nosing with their superiors the way he was right then was about as annoying as the hangover still nagging at Nick's insides.

For a brief moment, Chief Rinard's expression softened. "And you...have you given any further thought to recent discussions?"

Brian could immediately feel the heat of Nick's inquisitive stare as the question was asked, but he gave extra effort not to look in the younger man's direction. "I have, sir. I still am."

"Very well." Chief Rinard nodded and turned his attention to Nick. "Carter. Pull yourself together. Halverson has kept me informed of the trouble you've been causing. And what's that smell?"

Nick shrugged, fuming on the inside. "A little bit of whiskey. A little bit of tequila. And a lot of tits and ass with a chick whose name I can't remember."

Swallowing a curse of frustration towards Nick's current poor choice of behavior, Brian sat up straighter as he looked between the captain and the chief. "With all due respect, can we get to what this is all really about, Captain? It's clearly important if the chief is here."

Captain Halverson gave Nick a warning glance to forgo any further wise cracks before he slid the folder across the desk towards Brian. "Another body washed up on shore. Lower east side Bay Area this time. Discovered this morning by a couple of joggers. Three gun shot wounds to the head; one in the left temple and two between the eyes."

Brian frowned. "Another one? That's what...five now in the last four months fitting that description?" He drew the folder close and opened it up to find a picture of the victim whose body was found and what little bit of information law enforcement had been able to gather so far from what was already in the database.

"Six," Chief Rinard corrected. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned back against the edge of Captain Halverson's desk. "Easy to forget since the last one washed up three months ago."

Nick's eyes narrowed as he leaned over to try to get a better view of what the folder contained. "What leads us to believe it has anything to do with the others?"

Brian was a little put off by Nick's dismissal but he flipped through some of the pages, briefly scanning the information. He could see the reason for wanting to make the connection the captain and chief had already made. Brian, himself, could see the dots connecting.

The victim wasn't the first, but rather just another in a long list that had been accumulating since the precinct first began to track the activity of what was assumed to be an established drug gang exhibiting mafia like tendencies that had popped up into the area a few years prior.

"Here's what we know about the victim," Captain Halverson continued with his gaze firmly set on the two detectives in front of him. "Luca Giacomo. Twenty eight. Born and raised in the area. Only child. Mother frequented Prostitution Row and died of an overdose when Luca was eight. Father is currently serving life in the state penitentiary for felony possession, armed robbery, and attempted murder. Luca has a rap sheet of his own. Mostly petty crimes, but he did serve a six month sentence here a year ago for possession."

"Any other family?" Brian questioned. He pulled the photo of Luca out of the folder to study it closely, while Nick was quick to snatch the photo of Luca's body after it was found washed ashore.

"No known aside from his wife," Chief Rinard answered.

"Widow," Nick corrected, eying the photo of the body. He looked up to find all of the attention on him. "The bastard's pushing daisies now, so...she's his widow. Just saying."

“I would have pushed this onto Dorough and McLean, but they’re still tied up with the Kristopherson case and we want full attention being given to this with the increase of activity,” Captain Halverson went on to explain. “They’ll assist when needed and Narcotics will be kept in the loop.”

Chief Rinard cut in as Nick rolled his eyes. “The leader of the group goes by the name ‘Boss’. Recent intel from an inmate confirmed this, but he was unwilling to offer any solid information that would secure an identity. As I’m sure you are aware, gentlemen, we want this guy finally brought down. But first we need to find out who he is. So you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

“We’re on it,” Brian confirmed with a firm nod. He grabbed the photo of Luca’s corpse from Nick, returned it to its previous spot, and shut the folder. “We’ll go speak with Luca’s wife.”

Chief Rinard followed closely at Brian’s side, hand on his shoulder. “This is the case you’ve been waiting for, Littrell. Bring this guy down and you will have my recommendation for chief when I retire.”

“Yes, sir,” Brian murmured before opening the office door pausing in the doorway. He looked back at Nick who was still sitting and seemed paler in the face, eyes narrowed as he stared off at nothing. “Nick.”

Nick scowled, returning to the present. He forced himself to rise to his feet, but Captain Halverson stopped him.

“This is your last chance, Carter. Don’t fuck this up,” he gruffed.

“Aye aye, Captain.” Nick saluted the captain sarcastically, even though he had a few choice words he would have rather given him had the chief not been present, and followed Brian out of the office.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Chapter contains explicit sexual content.***

**Chapter 2**

"When the fuck were you planning on telling me?"

Brian had barely reached the picnic table with the tray of burgers and fries from the nearby food truck when Nick's question of demand greeted him with an accusatory stare. If Brian didn't know better, he would say that Nick honestly looked offended right then, as was supported by the fact that the younger man hadn't spoken a single word to him since they left the precinct a while before. Or...Nick was utterly furious, which was probably a touch more accurate.

Not that Brian could particularly blame his partner for feeling the way he currently did. He had, after all, kept his potential promotion to Chief of Police a secret from Nick for weeks now. On purpose, too. Just like Brian had purposely neglected to tell Nick he had any interest in becoming Chief of Police in the first place. Brian knew how Nick would react and he couldn't say he was disappointed. Frustrated? Now that was a whole other subject.

Holding back a sigh, Brian set the tray on the table and took a seat across from Nick. "I was going to tell you when I felt you needed to know," he calmly explained as he pushed a burger, fries, and drink towards him. "Eat."

But Nick made no move to receive the offering. He wasn't just offended; rather he even felt the sting of betrayal that Brian would keep such a bit of information from him, considering it directly affected Nick and threatened his position at the precinct.

"That's a load of bullshit and you know it!" Nick snapped with a sharp scowl. "Chief of Police, Brian! And what the Hell was that back there with Halverson and Rinard? I never would have guessed you to be such a brown-nosing pussy. Seriously, whose dick did you have to suck?"

Brian surprised Nick by giving him an even sharper scowl in return as he paused in the middle of unwrapping his burger.

"What were you expecting, huh?" he countered, creases forming in his forehead. He set the burger down. "That I would just be perfectly fine settling with this position for the rest of my life? I'm not you, Nick. You may not see yourself going anywhere else, but I do. I have other ambitions that don't always revolve around babysitting your lazy ass."

"Classy," Nick snorted with a rolling of his eyes. "Must make you feel all high and mighty talking like that. Guess you have to make up for your short comings below the belt in one way or another."

Brian shook his head, ignoring his partner's childish attack against his manhood, and resumed the task of unwrapping his burger. "You should be thanking me, Nick, you know that? Because if it weren't for me, you would have had your detective status revoked a long time ago and lost your position with the precinct. How much longer do you think Halverson is going to continue to put up with your bullshit? There's only so long I can continue to save your ass."

"Yeah, well, I don't need you to do me any more favors," Nick threw back at him. He snatched a container of french fries and popped one into his mouth, more of a distraction than anything else. "You're so pathetic. And so is that high horse you rode in on."

"I may be pathetic, but at least I'm not on the verge of losing my place in this world." Brian looked ready to deliver a few more bitter words across the table at Nick, which was a bit unusual for his normally calm and collected demeanor, but the ringing of his cell phone interrupted the onslaught of the verbal attack. He withdrew it from his pocket and released a small sigh as he glanced at the screen. "It's Baylee. I have to take this."

Nick waved him off in annoyance as Brian stepped away from the picnic table to take the call from his son. 'What a fucking joke...Brian as the next Chief of Police' he thought. As if Nick's life wasn't a big cluster fuck already.

Turning his back to where Brian had wandered off to, Nick took a moment to survey the boardwalk connected to the nearby pier. It was particularly busy that late afternoon, busier than Nick cared to deal with. It wouldn't have been his first choice for their late lunch either, but his partner held a certain fascination for the food trucks in the area and Nick hadn't had the patience to argue with him over the matter. Right then, though, Nick's hangover had subsided enough that he much rather would have been drinking his lunch instead.

Nick righted himself in his seat once more and withdrew his own cell phone from his pocket, knowing he still had a few moments to himself by the way Brian seemed to be communicating with his son with a deep-seated interest in whatever the teen was telling him. It didn't take Nick long to pull up the number he desired in his contacts and connecting the call, he brought the phone up to his ear.

"It's me," Nick said a moment later, keeping his voice low and to himself. "Tonight. Ten o'clock. You know where. Don't be late."

He didn't wait for an answer and disconnected the call. They knew better than to keep him waiting that evening, that much Nick was sure of, and he had no doubts that they would show up right when he expected them to.

Cursing under his breath as he glanced in Brian's direction, Nick yanked a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and popped a stick between his lips. He lit it hastily before inhaling a long drag and allowing his gaze to sweep the vicinity of their location.

So many damn women prancing around while scantily clothed, enjoying the humidity in the afternoon air. Some were even bordering the line of public indecency with their visible cleavage bulging out of bikini tops and asses barely squeezed into the tiniest and tightest of jean cut off shorts. Public indecency or not, Nick sure as Hell enjoyed the eye candy and could imagine a thing or two he'd like to do to a few of them.

A crumpled napkin bounced off of Nick's face, causing him to drop the burning cigarette out of reflex. It landed on the bench seat barely an inch from his crotch and he yelled, scrambling to jump away before he could get burned. The cigarette rolled off the bench onto the ground and Nick watched in dismay as Brian's boot flattened it against the pavement.

Brian, having tossed the napkin at Nick to grab his attention after returning to the picnic table, slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Hasn't anyone ever told you smoking is bad for you?" he chuckled, fully aware of the irritation he had just caused Nick and not the least bit fazed by it. "By the way, you got a little drool there on your chin."

"Suck it, ass hat," Nick muttered as he straightened his shirt and rolled his shoulders. "You can't stand there and tell me you don't look at what's around you when Leighanne's back is turned."

"I can appreciate a beautiful woman." Brian slid back onto the bench seat and resumed the task of eating his lunch. "But I'm faithful to my wife. And I don't make it a habit to drool like a little school boy who hasn't gone through puberty."

"That's because your wife owns your dick," Nick stated pointedly before he relented and sat across from Brian once more.

Brian shrugged, unwilling to let Nick get a rise out of him. "Comes with its benefits."

"You used to be fun," Nick snorted.

"And you used to be a lot of things you're not anymore," Brian threw back with a raised brow. "Eat. We've got work to do."

"I'm going to start calling you Halverson and Rinard's little bitch." The statement was meant to be an afterthought in Nick's mind until he heard the sound of his voice passing his lips. He shrugged when Brian's eyes narrowed at him with impatience. "Did I say that out loud?"

Brian opened his mouth to respond but then shut it just as quickly. Nick fed off of what kind of responses he could get out of someone, something Brian had learned well over the years. He had no qualms with his partner's smart mouth, but sometimes he wished Nick would learn when enough was enough. Especially when they were faced with the task of cracking a case that had been causing the precinct trouble for a long while.

The thought made Brian consider Nick's initial reaction to the presentation of the latest victim's file. Nick had been prone to showing less interest in their tasks lately, leaving a good deal of the work for Brian to handle on his own. But at least Brian got it done and it kept his reputation high enough in the eyes of his superiors. Nick's dismissal of the latest victim in the captain's office told Brian this case would be no different.

But that didn't change the task at hand and Brian knew both their captain and chief would be wanting an update as soon as Brian and Nick finished questioning Lucia Giacomo, the victim’s widow. Questioning a victim’s widow was always interesting enough. And considering Nick’s general lack of empathy, Brian knew he, himself, would be doing the majority of the questioning...as was usually the case.

Brian chose to let the silence accumulate between them until a while later when the soft purr of the Mercedes’ idling engine found them stuck in a thick clog of traffic on the East side bridge. Nick had fallen into a wordless stupor, slumped in the front passenger seat with his arms crossed over his chest and his chin dipped slightly downward. With the Ray Ban aviators covering his eyes, Brian was ready to assume Nick had passed out, but then the younger man released a disgruntled groan of frustration and sat up straighter.

“The fuck is the hold up? It’s not even rush hour!” Nick cursed with a wild motioning of his hands.

Brian glanced at him sideways before nodding to the police scanner secured to the lower center portion of the windshield. “Three car pile up quarter mile off the bridge. They’re re-routing traffic, something you would know if you would have been paying attention.”

Nick stared out the passenger window. “Isn’t that your job?” he scuffed.

“Oh, right, yes,” Brian chuckled in return. “I forgot. My job is to actually work while your job is to just sit there and look pretty.”

“Someone’s gotta do it,” Nick shrugged. “I volunteer as tribute.”

“Yeah, well, do you think you can put your big boy undies on for the time being?” Brian rolled his eyes as he inched the car forward slowly. “You’re not getting a free pass on this one. Just do your job because Halverson is keeping you under a microscope from now on.”

“Duly noted,” Nick responded with a sarcastic salute in Brian’s direction. “But I’m telling ya, the precinct’s digging for needles in a haystack. I don’t see what the death of this bastard has to do with the rest or how he’s even connected to “The Boss”. Really? “The Boss”? What kind of name is that anyway?”

Brian didn’t neglect the sarcasm dripping from Nick’s voice, although he ignored the quip towards the crime leader’s name. “Maybe they are,” he offered in return. “But what else do we have to go on? There’s no picking and choosing which lead we follow. Why are you so opposed to it anyway?”

“I’m  **_not_ ** ,” Nick stated defensively. He shrugged. “I can just think of better things I could be doing with my time than chasing my tail in circles with the rest of you.”

Exhaling a sharp breath through his nose, Brian knew the impending argument would be a lost cause and so, he let it go. He was relieved when the stream of traffic began to move forward once again, this time at a steady pace instead of the stop and go up to that point, albeit still excruciatingly slow. They were finally nearing the end of the bridge, a relief to Brian that they would be getting away from the impatient driving habits of that afternoon’s commuters. Had he known of the pile up ahead of time, Brian would have taken them on a detour through the industrial district; at least it would have cut their current drive time in half.

Nick wasted no time jumping out of the Mercedes when Brian brought it to a stop curbside out front of a run down, multiple story red brick building. The neighborhood wasn’t exactly one he made a habit out of visiting, especially now since his days of patrol duty as an officer were long behind him. Every officer straight out of the academy had to put their time into canvassing the neighborhoods with the highest crime rates; it was part of what made that first year so trying. Not that the veteran officers made life any easier for the rookies. They wanted to break them during the first year, see how far they could take them, and if the rookies came out with even a shred of their dignity remaining, then their first year was considered successful.

Of course, where the veteran officers made life Hell for the rookies during Brian and Nick’s first year fresh out of the academy, Nick had managed to give them just as much of a run for their own money. Nick had always played by his own rule book, from the time they were kids and the habit led him straight into adulthood. Nick’s career proved to be no exception, which is how Brian usually ended up being the one to tame him down when it mattered most.

Brian stepped up onto the curb and clamped his hand down onto Nick’s shoulder as he tilted his head back to look up at the towering apartment building. The visible code violations upon first glance had him wondering how it was still even considered habitable, although the city had begun to crack down on some of the rogue landlords that still insisted on trying to take advantage of the less fortunate by renting out decrepit living spaces. Brian figured the city would eventually set its attention upon this particular building and its owner at some point.

“C’mon,” he told Nick and nudged him forward. “Let's get this over with.”

Together, they climbed the cracked and crumbling stone of the staircase, ignoring the two questionable characters loitering at the top near the entrance door. The sweltering humidity from a lack of sufficient air conditioning surrounded Brian and Nick as they entered the dusty foyer. Trash and discarded mail littered the stained flooring, enough that Nick had to kick a crumpled fast food bag out of his path. He huffed in annoyance.

“What a piece of shit this place is,” Nick muttered to himself.

Brian stood there a moment, surveying their surroundings. “It’s definitely not home,” he nodded in agreement. Stepping ahead of his partner in the direction of the indoor staircase, he motioned to the informational plaque on the wall that detailed in which direction the individual apartment units were located. “Giacomo’s file has his apartment listed as 3B. Third floor. C’mon.”

Nick wordlessly followed behind Brian as they moved up the staircase and down a dimly lit hallway once they had made it three stories up. It was a narrow hallway, cluttered almost in the same manner as the foyer on the first floor, and the lights overhead flickered periodically. Even the floorboards creaked beneath their feet. Halfway down, they came to a stop outside the door for apartment 3B on the left-hand side of the hallway. Brian lifted his hand in preparation to knock, but Nick quickly leaned forward, banging his fist roughly against the door several times.

“Would it pain you to be a little less obnoxious about it?” Brian muttered under his breath.

Nick answered him by pounding several times on the door again.

The door was yanked open a few moments later, the hinges screeching in protest, and a petite disheveled looking young Hispanic woman who stood no taller than five feet two inches appeared. Her bloodshot eyes shifted hastily between the two detectives, her posture defensive and untrusting. But she didn’t speak a word and the silence made way for the echoing of screaming tenants from near the opposite end of the hall.

“Lucia Giacomo?” Brian broke the silence, keeping his tone diplomatic for the time being.

“What’s it to you?” the woman hissed in return.

“I’m Detective Brian Littrell and this is my partner Detective Nick Carter,” Brian continued, pulling out his badge and holding it up for view as he spoke. “We’re here to speak to you about your husband Luca Giacomo.”

Lucia shook her head, irritation clearly mirrored on her face. “Cops already came by earlier to tell me he went and got himself killed,” she spoke sharply, her hand coming to rest on the edge of the door. “I already talked then. I got nothing more to say.”

Nick’s hand shot out to keep her from being able to shut the door. “That’s not your choice to make. Now I suggest you let us in so we can do our job, unless you want us to have you arrested for obstruction of justice.”

Lucia’s eyes narrowed at Nick as she sized him up from head to toe, seemingly unimpressed by his bravado. “¡Que te jodan!” she spat at him. “No contesto idiotas.”

Brian cleared his throat, trying to bring Lucia’s attention back to him. He pulled Nick’s hand away from the door. “Tengo preguntas, señora,” he told her calmly. “Un momento de tu tiempo...por favor.”

Lucia shook her head and motioned her frustration with her hands as she turned from the doorway. “Fine, whatever, come in,” she told them hastily.

Shooting Nick a look of disapproval, Brian followed Lucia into the cluttered apartment. “Mrs. Giacomo, is there someone we can call to come be with you during this time?” he questioned as he looked around, mostly to familiarize himself in case anything stood out as important.

“Look around you, Detective,” Lucia answered him, arms hugging her petite frame. “I live in this Hell hole. Do you really think I have anyone who would care enough to come be with me?”

”I apologize,” Brian replied. He slowly lowered himself to sit on the tattered couch. “Please sit so we can talk. We won’t take much of your time.”

Lucia sat on the opposite end of the couch, ignoring the way the other detective moved slowly around the living room of the apartment, his attention distracted. Returning her attention to Brian, she swatted at some tendrils of her ebony hair that had fallen out of place into her eyes.

“Luca was the only one I had,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Mrs. Giacomo,” Brian told her as he withdrew a small notepad and pen from his pocket. “I imagine this must be difficult for you right now, but I want to give you my word that we will be doing everything we can to find out what happened to your husband and who is responsible for his death.”

“I can tell you exactly what happened to Luca,” Lucia countered, voice thick with emotion and on the verge of breaking.

With the pen hovering over the notepad, Brian’s head tilt ever so slightly to the side in question. Nick turned around at that moment where he stood at the mantle across the room to face them, his eyes narrowed in a scowl.

“What do you mean by that, Mrs. Giacomo?” Brian questioned her.

“I told him not to get involved with those people,” Lucia’s voice trembled as she spoke. “I told him they weren’t good news and it would only get him in trouble.”

Brian nodded slowly, pen still hovering over the notepad. “What do you know about the people your husband was involved with?”

Lucia shrugged, avoiding both Brian and Nick’s stares. “Luca didn’t tell me much. He didn’t want to. He said the less I knew, the safer I would be. But...I overheard some of his phone conversations.”

“Conversations with…?” Brian trailed in question.

“The people he was involved with,” Lucia reiterated. “They...they had Luca do things. Deliveries. Pick ups. A lot of it involved drugs, and there was always money involved. That’s what hooked him.”

“The drugs?” Brian guessed as he scribbled a few notes. He looked back up to find Lucia staring back at him incredulously.

“The  **_money_ ** ,” she corrected. “Luca was involved with them because of the money.”

“So you’re saying the drugs were just a side perk,” Nick snorted as he ran the tip of his finger along the edge of the mantle, nose scrunching at the trail of dust he took with it in the movement.

Lucia whipped her gaze in Nick’s direction. “My husband wasn’t an addict, detective. He may have dabbled with things on occasion, but-”

“I’d hardly call doing a six month stint a year ago for possession as dabbling. Besides, they’re never just in it for the money when drugs are involved,” Nick interrupted her pointedly. “It’s the other way around. That’s how it gets them in trouble with the people they’re involved with. They get greedy and greedy gets you killed.”

“How long had Luca been involved with these people?” Brian questioned, hoping to draw the attention back between him and Lucia before Nick managed to say something that would cause the woman to shut herself off to them before they could gather more potentially helpful information from her.

Lucia drew her feet up onto the couch and her knees to her chest. “I, uh...I think six months...maybe a little more?” she answered, fingers running through her hair. “He lost his job at the factory just over six months ago and that’s when everything about him began to change.”

Brian encouraged her to continue. “Change in what ways?”

“Everything,” Lucia stressed. “He was more irritable and secretive with everything he did. But he refused to involve me. I would question him about where he was going at night or who he was talking to and he always told me to mind my own damn business. That bastard  **_was_ ** my business.”

“Did Luca ever mention any names to you?”

Lucia shook her head firmly. “No, he never told me who he was doing business for. Only said that the guy who ran all of the operations was a sociopathic asshole. And dangerous...Luca always seemed afraid of him. Said that was part of the reason he couldn’t tell me anything specific. My husband was a fucking asshole, too, alright? But he didn’t deserve this, what happened to him. I warned him to get out before something happened-”

“You don’t just  **_get out_ ** ,” Nick interrupted her once more. “He knew that.”

Brian had to swallow the sigh he felt forming, his irritation towards his partner’s lack of empathy intensifying. Slowly, he shut the cover of the notepad and idly tapped the pen against it before returning it to his pocket. In exchange, he pulled out a small card and extended it across the couch to Lucia. “If there is any other information you recall, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, I want you to call me. Right now, any information we can get will help.”

Lucia took the card from him, studying it with eyes that began to mist over with anger and grief. “Dios mío, él era tan estúpido,” her voice quivered as her resolve began to crumble. “Tan estúpido.”

Brian rose to his feet. “We will be in touch, Mrs. Giacomo.”

“Wait!” Lucia suddenly called out as both Brian and Nick began to move towards the front door. Her eyes met Brian’s. “Luca was always talking to someone named Maddox. I don’t know if it was his real name or not. But that’s who was always calling him.”

“We’ll be sure to look into that,” Brian nodded as he paused at the door. “Thank you. And again, I’m very sorry for your loss.”

Nick yanked the door open and stormed out into the hallway with Brian following close behind. Brian didn’t even bother calling out to him to slow down when his partner quickly moved ahead; rather Brian was more baffled by Nick’s inexcusable and odd behavior. But there was no time to waste to corner him about it. Lucia Giacomo had offered what Brian saw as a couple of pertinent pieces of information that he was anxious to look into, whether Nick felt the same or not. Nick’s attitude would have to be placed on the back burner for the time being.

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

The muffled sounds of the club’s base system caused the walls and the floor to vibrate. It could even be felt in the air, which is exactly what he expected considering the pretty penny he had dropped on the system. He’d be damned if he didn’t have the best of the best readily available at his disposal.

He wasn’t known to spare any expense to get what he wanted. Anything less than the best was simply unacceptable and if heads had to roll for him to get it, well...there was a cost for everything. Didn’t bother him none. He didn’t get to where he currently was sitting on his ass, hoping the world would eventually be handed to him on a silver platter. No, he went after the world and he claimed it for his own. Everything and everyone else around him was just a pawn.

And God, he loved the power it gave him.

Sighing to himself, he leaned back into the plush leather couch lining one of the walls of the private VIP room he was occupying. It wasn’t often he mingled in the midst of his typical clientele at the club; rather, he preferred to spend his time down in the room directly below that he reserved strictly for himself and his associates...and the occasional stripper he brought down with them to provide a little extra entertainment. Tonight was different, though. Tonight, he craved the deafening beats brought by the DJ and the blinding strobes of light that lit the dance floor.

Tonight, he wanted to ease the stress brought on by the new cluster fuck of problems he found himself presented with. There weren’t enough words to describe his anger or the wrath he was ready to release and perhaps it was time he let more heads roll, set a clearer example just to once again drive home the point that  **_he_ ** was the one in charge. Make a mistake and there are consequences, deadly ones if necessary.

“You’re stressed,” a woman’s sultry voice, mixed with the sounds of the current club hit playing, grabbed hold of his attention.

He turned his gaze to her just as she returned to the couch with a freshly poured whiskey on ice to replace the empty glass he was currently holding in his hand. He took it from her after discarding the empty one on the low glass table in front of him and allowed his eyes to openly roam her barely clothed body.

That’s how he preferred the women in the club to be, at least the ones who sought positions close to his inner circle and he made sure they understood what was required of them. The more skin showing, the more he was pleased. Heather, this one in particular, had managed to earn his favor quite easily from the start, welcoming the opportunity to always keep her best features readily available. He kept her on a short leash and had no qualms with taking advantage of her willingness.

He could definitely make do with her eager and willing nature that night.

Heather lowered herself onto the couch beside him and ran the tips of her fingers slowly along his thigh. He never had to tell her when and how to start and he would never stop her either. Her lips came to hover near the pulse point on his neck and her warm breath caused his skin to tingle. “What has the Boss so stressed out?”

Swallowing a sip of the whiskey, he allowed his eyes to flutter shut and rested his head against the back of the couch. “A whole cluster fuck of problems and shit hitting the fan,” he muttered, focusing on the way Heather’s lips pressed against his neck for a gentle suckle before she nipped just how he liked her to do it. “I have a bunch of fucking idiots working for me, not that it’s any of your damn business.”

“I haven’t seen you this pissed off in months,” Heather noted, unfazed by his bitterness. She smoothed her hand back up his thigh, trailing a path of feather-light kisses along his jawline. “Has to be bad if you’re this worked up.”

“Like I said,” he responded as he relaxed under her touch and swallowed a long sip of the whiskey. “It’s none of your damn business.”

“Okay,” Heather relented with a small playful pout, but instead of pressing the subject further, she shifted her body carefully until she was straddling the Boss’s lap and draped her arms over his shoulders. She could already feel him harden beneath her, a tell all sign that he approved of the change. Heather leaned forward to claim his lips with her own, only to linger with heavy breath. “You know, seeing you this angry is a turn on.”

“Everything is a turn on for a whore,” the Boss chuckled in response, nipping on Heather’s bottom lip. “Not that I’m complaining. You’ve got me so fucking hard right now.”

Heather smirked at him, rolling her hips into his to test just how hard he truly was. “Tell me how I can ease some of that stress, Boss.”

He leaned back from her to catch her eyes with his, his face flushed with heat. “Get on your knees, whore.”

Running her tongue along her bottom lip, Heather slowly slid off the Boss’s lap and onto the floor between his legs. She kept her hands upon his thighs, massaging them upward until she reached the crease where his thighs met his hips. Heather glanced up at him, fingers teasing the buckle of his belt. “Like this?”

The Boss grunted, feeling the growing ache of need in his groin. “Quit your teasing and get on with it already.”

It didn’t take her long to undo the Boss’s belt and unfasten the button of his dark wash denim jeans and when she had lowered the zipper plenty, Heather dipped a hand into the confines of his boxer briefs to find him erect and throbbing with need.

The Boss quickly tossed the rest of the whiskey in his glass down his throat as Heather’s hand wrapped around the thickness of his shaft, giving it a tender stroke. But before he could say a word to direct her further, she pulled him free and quickly brought her mouth down onto him.

“Fuck,” he hissed, pleasantly surprised as he welcomed the sensation of the wet warmth of Heather’s mouth upon his cock. His hand found its way downward to tangle his fingers within the soft tresses of her dark hair. “Suck me like you mean it, whore.”

Heather pulled off of him long enough to swirl her tongue around his tip, then took him back into her mouth as her hand stroked him near the base of his cock. She always knew what it took to draw him quickly towards the edge and he seemed to be in need of a strong release, especially with the way he let loose a loud moan and began to pant intermittently, fingers tangling tighter in her hair.

“Shit, yeah, just like that,” he stuttered, hips sporadically lifting off the couch to thrust into Heather’s mouth. His panting became heavier, inviting the rolling motion that began to swell in the pit of his stomach as his release drew nearer. “Fuck, I’m so close-”

The door to the private VIP room slammed open at that moment, causing Heather to unexpectedly pull away from the Boss as she fell backwards with a yelp of surprise. She scrambled to right herself, but the damage had already been done as the Boss cursed sharply while fumbling to grasp one of the couch pillows to cover himself.

“What the  **_fuck_ ** !” he yelled in an annoyed state of dismay as he caught sight of Maddox, Jax, and Diego, three of his closest associates filing into the room, clearly just as caught off guard to have found the Boss in his current predicament. Unable to contain his fury, the Boss sent the empty whiskey glass sailing through the air towards the three men, ignoring it as it shattered against the wall just to the side of Diego’s head. “I said what the fuck!”

Maddox cleared his throat, averting his eyes. “Sorry, Boss. Didn’t know you had company.”

Hastily shoving himself back into his jeans with a grimace, the Boss flung the pillow away from himself and glared at Heather who was still on the floor, glancing between him and the other three with uncertainty. “Get the fuck out!” he shouted at her. It didn’t faze him in the least when she jumped up from the floor and hurried out of the room without a word.

Running both hands through his hair, the Boss turned his seething attention on his three associates. “Someone want to tell me who the fuck gave you permission to just barge right in without ringing first?” he demanded, fighting the urge to reach for the gun he had set on the glass table upon arriving earlier that evening. “Give me one good fucking reason why I shouldn’t put a bullet in each of your fucking heads!”

Of course it was a rhetorical question and as the discomfort in his lower half gradually began to lessen, the Boss swiftly turned from the men and made his way over to the private mini bar he always kept stocked in the room, seeking out the bottle of whiskey to calm his nerves further. “Un-fucking-real…” he muttered and lifted the rim of the bottle to his lips for a long swig.

Jax stepped forward, pulling a small tin box out of his jacket pocket. He held it up in view when the Boss turned back around to face them. “Brought you first taste,” he told him with a crooked grin, then tossed it across the room to him.

The Boss caught the box with one hand, unimpressed but accepting the offering nonetheless and motioned with a nod for the three to grab a drink and take a seat. He returned to the couch, discarding the bottle of whiskey on the glass top of the table before setting the box down and removing the lid. Reaching inside, he pulled out a tiny clear bag containing a white substance and a razor blade.

“Is this from the batch we got last night?” the Boss asked, his attention distracted as he shook a small quantity of the substance onto the table top.

Maddox nodded, taking a seat in one of the plush chairs across the room. “Straight from the top. It’s solid.”

“You better hope it is and not a waste of my time and resources…” the Boss muttered again. He used the razor blade to methodically divide the substance into three short thin lines. Dropping the razor blade back into the box, he leaned down without hesitation and proceeded to snort the first line of the substance. Pausing only briefly, he snorted the other two lines and sunk back into the couch, rubbing at his nose to dull the burning. “You’re right, that’s some good shit.”

“Looks like Luca wasn’t a complete waste after all,” Maddox attempted to joke after swallowing a sip of his drink, but the Boss’s glare of disgust was enough to shut him up quickly.

The Boss slowly sat up straight, keeping his fierce glare fixated in Maddox’s direction as his raging anger began to resurface once more. “If I were you, I wouldn’t be so quick to run my mouth right now,” he told him in an eerily calm tone. He rose to his feet with the neck of the bottle of whiskey securely in his grasp as he felt the effects of the drug coursing through his system.

Maddox relented with a nod. “No, you’re right. I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” the Boss repeated, brows raised. He paced away from the couch, back turned to the three momentarily. When he turned around to face them again, his face was unreadable. “Maddox...I don’t think you understand why you should be sorry.”

“For making a shitty attempt at a joke?” Maddox offered.

“Hmmm…” the Boss trailed, slowly nodding his head. He swallowed a sip of whiskey and cocked a brow. “Is that what that was?”

Maddox looked to Jax and Diego for clarification, but they just shrugged, and so, he returned his attention to the Boss. “It clearly didn’t have the effect I hoped it would.”

The Boss pursed his lips, considering what Maddox said, but there wasn’t a bit of humor visible on his face. His voice remained dangerously low when he spoke again. “ **_Clearly_ ** ,” he reiterated, setting the bottle of whiskey onto the glass table top. His fingers brushed over the gun, almost in a manner of longing, and then he picked up. “Maddox...Maddox...Maddox…”

Maddox watched him closely, his posture becoming tense. “I get it, Boss. You’re still pissed.”

“No, I’m not pissed,” the Boss shook his head, staring down at the gun. He looked up at Maddox sharply. “I’m fucking livid.”

“You want me to go get Heather so she can finish you off?” Jax smirked, hoping to calm the tension that was building in the room. “That’s gotta be one Hell of a case of blue balls, Boss.”

“You shut your fucking mouth,” the Boss snapped at Jax, briefly pointing the gun in his direction. He inched his way closer to Maddox. “And you… You’ve caused me a whole shit ton of problems.”

“Luca was unexpected,” Maddox started to reply, but before he could continue, the Boss was upon him, slamming the chair with him in it back against the wall.

“Luca was a fucking liability that never should have fucking happened!” the Boss shouted, pressing the end of the gun’s barrel against the middle of Maddox’s forehead. He ignored the way the man’s eyes widened up at him. “But you insisted on bringing him in, Maddox! And now look what it’s caused me! Shit is hitting the fan and that is on  **_you_ ** ! I’m getting sick and fucking tired of having to clean up your messes!”

“It was a mistake!” Maddox stammered. “I swear to you, it won’t happen again!”

“You’re damn right it won’t happen again,” the Boss gruffed, slowly pulling back from him. Righting his posture, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Because of your little protégé and Charlie running their mouths, the authorities have caught wind and now I’ve got them breathing down my neck. Do you understand how cranky that makes me?”

“We’ll take care of it-” Jax started to say, but the Boss interrupted him with a seething glare.

“Like you took care of Luca’s body?” He shifted his gaze between Maddox and Jax.”What do you two fucktards think I expect you to do when I say to clean up the mess and get rid of the body?  **_You clean up the mess and get rid of the damn body, not let it wash up on shore the next fucking morning_ ** !”

Inhaling a deep breath, the Boss tilted his head to the side before continuing in his same eerily calm tone from before. He fixed his eyes on Maddox as he spoke. “Now I’ve got Luca’s widowed bitch dropping  **_your_ ** name to the authorities.”

Maddox frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“You heard me,” the Boss told him.

“Then Luca obviously opened his mouth to her,” Maddox stated.

Jax sat up in his seat a little straighter. “You want us to take care of that problem for ya? I’ll make sure she doesn’t open her mouth to the authorities again.”

The Boss gruffed in response. “No, she’s now my problem to take care of. Keep your filthy hands to yourself.”

Shrugging, Jax downed the rest of his drink. “You got it, Boss.”

Turning from the three men, the Boss felt his patience run dry. Of course they didn’t understand the severity of all the shit hitting the fan. How could he expect them to? Fucking idiots. Maybe it was time he started rethinking his inner circle and the workings of his business operations. But first he had other business to take care of, the first of which had to do with seeking out where his whore for the evening had gone.

“Why are you idiots still just sitting there?” he said a moment later, annoyed but the heaviness of the way they anxiously watched him. “Get the fuck out of my sight.”

Feet shuffled, fumbling as Maddox, Jax, and Diego stood to file towards the doorway.

“And Maddox?” the Boss called out.

“Yeah, Boss?” Lagging behind the other two, Maddox stopped and turned. Though, no sooner had he turned his back to the others did the loud cracking shot of the gun ring out, the bullet swiftly piercing him in the skull between the eyes. His body dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, lifeless eyes still open towards the ceiling.

The Boss lowered the gun, his movements deadly calm. “Let Maddox be an example to both of you,” he told Jax and Diego who were lingering near the still closed door. “Fuck up again, any of you, and you will be joining him.”

He stepped over Maddox’s dead body as he stowed his gun in the back waistband of his jeans. Pausing near Diego, he leaned in closer. “Call Elias. Have him help you get rid of this trash.”

Diego nodded, speaking for the first time that evening. “Sure thing, Boss.”

Without another word, the Boss slammed out of the room.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

“Wow, Littrell. Sleeping on the job?”

Awaking with a jolt, Brian sat up sharply and blinked in a dazed manner until he noticed Detective AJ McLean standing on the other side of his desk, clearly amused from the disturbance he had caused. Brian, on the other hand, was more than a little confused and found it difficult to clear his muddled mind. He sat there a moment more, rubbing his hands over his face before he attempted to speak.

“I wasn’t sleeping,” he muttered sheepishly, sitting back in his chair with a sigh as he continued to rub his hands over his face.

“Right, because that pile of drool you left behind there doesn’t speak a different story,” AJ snickered before setting a cup of coffee and a muffin on the desk in front of Brian. “Here, looks like you need this more than I do.”

Brian offered the detective a grateful smile and forced himself to sit upright as he reached for part of the offering. Bringing the cup of coffee up to his lips, he swallowed a careful sip and allowed himself to wallow in the satisfying burn of the coffee sliding down his throat.

“You’re right, I do need this,” he said and indulged himself with another sip. “It’s good, thanks.”

“For fuck’s sake, Brian...when’s the last time you went home and took a shower?” AJ cocked a sharp brow with the question. He idly shuffled some papers mixed in with the clutter on Brian’s desk before returning his attention to his fellow detective.

“Yesterday…? Maybe two days ago?” Brian offered with a small shrug. He frowned as AJ continued to mess with the documents he had spread out on his desk. Reaching forward, he swatted AJ’s hand away. “Wait, what day is it?”

“Today is Wednesday, also known as hump day, also known as there’s still too many damn days to suffer through until the weekend…” AJ drawled, fighting a chuckle when a look of realization passed over Brian’s face.

“Three days,” Brian admitted as if it meant little that he hadn’t bothered himself to go home in days to at the very least shower and grab a change of clothes. It wasn’t unusual that Brian spent the night camped out in his office at the precinct, especially when he and Nick were in the middle of investigating a case that didn’t allow much room for rest. Murders, like the one Brian was currently investigating, generally kept him away from his home and his family the most. Not that it was ever intentional, but Brian had never been one to just let something go. He did his job and he did his job well. Of course it didn’t help that he had a partner that insisted on making that job even more difficult.

God only knew where Nick was at that moment.

AJ hissed inwardly and perched himself halfway on the edge of Brian’s desk. “Ro would rip me a new asshole from here to Sunday if I didn’t at least come home at night,” he mused, arms crossing casually over his chest.

“Well...Baylee’s gone on a camping trip for the week with friends,” Brian noted as he gathered a bunch of stray papers into a neat stack before turning to his computer and switching the monitor on.

“And the wifey?” AJ smirked in return.

“Out of town, attending a conference,” Brian answered, frowning as he quickly entered his log-in credentials and proceeded to access his email account to check the status of a recent request he had submitted to subpoena Luca Giacomo’s phone records. The victim’s widow had been insistent that her husband spoke frequently with someone by the name of Maddox and Brian’s best guess was to check the man’s phone records for any possible correlation before they checked elsewhere. It wasn’t like they had much more to go on at the moment anyway.

However, refreshing the inbox one more time for good measure, Brian was disappointed and more than a little frustrated that he hadn’t received any follow up correspondence regarding his request.

AJ neglected the look of irritation on the other detective’s face as he tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling woefully. “I wish Ro would go out of town to attend a conference,” he mused again.

Holding back a sigh of frustration, Brian returned his attention to AJ. “Trouble in paradise?”

“No, not at all,” AJ chuckled with an amused shake of his head. He looked over at Brian again. “Ro got involved with some bake sale at Ava’s school recently and now she won’t stop baking. Non-stop, all hours of the day, man. Thinks it’s her calling or some shit. Seriously, it smells like Betty Crocker opened up a Goddamned bakery in my house.”

Brian brought the cup of coffee back to his lips, but resisted taking a sip as he lifted a brow. “I’d think you would enjoy having an in-home bakery at your disposal.”

AJ looked back at him, aghast. “And ruin this dad bod?”

“You’re not getting any younger,” Brian shrugged. “Has your hairline receded further since the last time I saw you?”

“Funny,” AJ snorted with a scowl. “I’d like to see you subjected to tea parties with Lyric each night.”

“I hear she makes you wear a princess tutu and fairy wings,” Brian grinned. AJ, who was clearly speechless with cheeks that reddened quickly, flipped Brian off in return. Somehow, his fellow detective’s reaction let Brian know he wasn’t too far off with his playful jab and he chuckled. “Count your blessings, Aje. One day you’ll blink and your girls will be Baylee’s age and you will wish they were that little again.”

AJ huffed as he rose to his feet. “Just eat the damn muffin already. It’s bran or some other healthy shit. I don’t know, but Ro wants me to let her know what I thought of it.”

A quiet ‘ding’ cut through the air and brought Brian’s attention back to the computer just before the new email notification pop-up disappeared from the screen. 

“Finally!” he said, and still feeling the heat of AJ’s expectant stare, he blindly reached for the muffin and brought it up to his mouth. Clicking into the email he had just received, Brian bit a distracted bite from the muffin and didn’t give it much thought as he chewed it. He swallowed a moment later, not willing to tell AJ the muffin was a bit tasteless and on the dry side. “Tell her it’s great. Best thing you’ve ever tasted. Then take her to bed.”

“Damn, that bad, huh?” AJ waited for Brian to take another bite, but when he didn’t, AJ shrugged in consideration. “Maybe I should just take her to bed. Forgo the formalities.”

“Might be a good idea,” Brian mumbled, eyes scanning the information that was on the screen. His forehead creased with his concentration and knowing it would be easier to study the phone records if he could lay them out side by side on a table, he sent the document to the printer on the other side of the computer. Just as the machine came to life, the door to Brian’s office opened and he looked away from the computer to watch as his partner barged in.

“Carter.” AJ snidely looked down his nose at the younger detective, making no effort to hide his blatant dislike for the man.

It had always been that way too, from the first moment both detectives crossed paths at the precinct, not that Brian could say he completely understood it, but that came from his effort of trying to keep a neutral stance on the matter. Although, Brian suspected it had something to do with the fact that AJ had transferred in from a precinct in Florida years earlier after relocating and Nick walked around a good deal of the time acting like he owned the place. AJ thought the younger detective was a lazy pathetic excuse for a detective and Nick was insistent AJ had no right to come in and belong without earning his place, even though earning one’s place in the mind of Nick Carter was an impossible feat to accomplish.

Nick all but slammed into AJ as he stepped further into the room, purposely knocking the detective to the side. “Fuck off, McLean,” he snapped.

Rolling his eyes, AJ turned to move towards the doorway. “I’ll catch you later, Littrell,” he called back to him and ducked out of the room.

“Fucking douche canoe,” Nick muttered, glaring in AJ’s wake.

“Isn’t it about time you put that animosity to rest?” Brian suggested as he pulled a partial stack of Luca Giacomo’s phone records off the printer while the machine continued to spit them out. Lucia Giacomo had mentioned the change in her husband began approximately six months prior, but considering her uncertainty, Brian requested the records to reflect a total of twelve months. And considering the printer was a long way off from completing the print job, he could only imagine just how much of a pain in the ass it would be to go through all of them as if with a fine-toothed comb.

Nick was still scowling at the open doorway, despite the fact that AJ had already disappeared from sight. “That faggot is a joke, looking like he does,” he stated. He slammed himself down into one of the chairs on the other side of Brian’s desk. “It’s pathetic. All tattooed and walking around like he’s got some sort of identity crisis. Hell, he looks like he’s a wannabe rock star that got rejected by a boy band.”

Brian inhaled deeply through his nose, feeling his annoyance quickly mounting. “Y’know what, Nick?” he responded as he knocked the partially eaten muffin off his desk into the trash can. “I don’t care.”

Nick returned his attention to him, nose scrunching. “What the Hell crawled up your ass and died?”

Yanking another snack of papers from the printer, Brian glanced at him. “You keep looking for a fight with everyone like you always do and eventually you’re going to find one,” he said with a sharp shake of his head. “And it won’t be  **_them_ ** who gets suspended for it either.”

“You know what the difference is between me and you?” Nick countered.

Brian met Nick’s stare impatiently. “Enlighten me, oh wise one.”

Nick’s lips parted, preparing a witty response, but he quickly shut his mouth when Brian’s expression didn’t waver. “You’re such a fucking mood killer.”

Brian pulled the last stack of records off the printer and thumbed through them. “I’m surprised you’re here.”

“Jesus, Brian, I’m not a complete fuck up,” Nick huffed as he reached forward to take ownership of the coffee Brian had yet to finish, smirking when Brian didn’t even try to stop him. Swallowing a long sip, he smacked his lips loudly. “Thanks for the coffee, man.”

“You can thank AJ. It was his.”

“Are you trying to poison me?!” Nick coughed after making a dramatic obnoxious show of swallowing the coffee currently in his mouth. “That motherfucker probably spit in it-”

“You know, maybe if you were less of an asshole, you wouldn’t think the whole world was out to get you,” Brian told him as he rose to his feet. Snatching the cup out of Nick’s grasp, he dropped it in the trash can. “Food for thought.”

Nick stood there as his partner gathered the thick stack of papers he’d printed and began to make his way towards the door. It didn’t take Nick long to follow him. “Where are you going?”

Brian held the stack of papers up as he continued to walk ahead of Nick. “I put in a request a few days back to subpoena Luca Giacomo’s phone records. I just got them in this morning. Now we get to comb through them for anything that might be a connection to the name Maddox that Lucia provided us with.” He looked back at Nick. “Fun...right?”

Nick met his gaze with no emotion readable on his face and even less in his voice. “A grand fucking time.”

“Gotta start somewhere.” Brian led them into one of the empty conference rooms and proceeded to split the stack of papers in half. He handed the bottom half of the stack to Nick and moved around to the other side of the long rectangular table to take a seat. “Lucia said that Luca was always speaking to someone named Maddox. That is as clear of a connection to who Luca was involved with that we’ve got to work with right now. I requested Luca’s phone records going back a year. If what Lucia said is true, then we should be able to find that connection within the records.”

Nick claimed the chair across from Brian and idly thumbed through the records. “Did it occur to you that the dude, if he even exists, was probably using one or more burner phones to communicate with Luca?”

Brian’s eyes slowly scanned the sheet of paper on top of his stack as he listened to Nick speak. “Could be the case,” he admitted, tongue clicking against the roof of his mouth in thought. He set the stack of papers down to focus across the table on his partner. “But let’s theorize that that’s not the case. Let's say that this Maddox, whoever he is, didn’t cover his tracks when communicating with our victim. If that’s the case, and I’m theorizing  **_if_ ** , then there will be a pattern in these phone records associated with one or more numbers that we can trace back to being registered to Maddox. We get  **_that_ ** and we get a last name to run a search through the system with.”

“Can’t run a search without a last name,” Nick stated.

“Now we’re on the same page,” Brian nodded. Returning his attention to the stack of papers in front of him, he rubbed a tired hand over his face in hopes of willing his exhaustion to stay at bay. “If this guy has any kind of a rap sheet, he’ll be in the system. And hopefully we can draw in more connections to who he is associated with in order to bring us closer to an identity as to who is leading this whole operation. That’s what I’m banking on.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you are,” Nick muttered under his breath.

Hearing the remark, Brian glanced at his partner again, but no sooner had he opened his mouth to question him did his phone begin to ring loudly from his pocket. Brian reached for the device and studied the screen, finding an unfamiliar number reflecting back at him. Holding up a hand to stop any further commenting coming from Nick, he brought the phone up to his ear to answer the call. “This is Detective Brian Littrell.”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before a timid female voice answered him. “...It’s Lucia Giacomo…”

Brian sat up straighter in his seat. “Mrs. Giacomo. Yes, hello. What can I do for you?”

Nick’s posture stiffened when he heard Brian speak to identify the caller and abandoning the stack of phone records in front of him, he tried to grab his partner’s attention, but Brian distractedly waved him off.

When Brian received no response from the other end of the line, he twisted his chair around and stood to pace away from the table. “Mrs. Giacomo? Is everything alright?”

“I, um…” Lucia Giacomo mumbled in response. Brian heard her sigh and could tell there was a great deal of stress in her voice. “You...you told me to call you if I thought of anything else.”

Brian nodded to himself. “Yes, that’s right.”

“I...well, I think I may have found something,” Lucia told him. “Can we meet tomorrow? Luca’s memorial is being held in the morning, ten thirty at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. East side.”

“I know where that’s at,” Brian told her. “I can meet you there.”

Nick watched as Brian quickly ended the call and turned back around to face him. “What did she want?” he questioned pointedly.

“Not sure,” Brian answered as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “She wants to meet tomorrow at Luca’s memorial service.”

The laugh escaped Nick’s mouth before he could stop it from surfacing. “They’re actually holding a memorial service for that fucker?”

Brian frowned at him. “That was a bit insensitive, don’t you think?”

Nick held his hands up in defense. “I’m just saying…”

Ignoring him, Brian resumed his seat at the table. “Alright then, let’s get to this. I’ve got a meeting in an hour, so I’m gonna need you to carry the brunt of the work of looking through these records.”

“A meeting with who?” Nick gruffed.

“Captain wants me to question that inmate he mentioned,” Brian answered. “Eddie Medina. There’s thought he might be able to provide some helpful intel for this case, mainly from an insider’s standpoint. Captain wants me to give a shot at cracking the guy.”

Nick’s eyes narrowed and if Brian didn’t know any better, he was quick to assume that his partner was annoyed at the idea that the captain didn’t want him involved in the questioning process with the inmate. But with Nick’s recent show of being short tempered with a general lack of class in conducting himself in business matters, Brian hadn’t exactly stepped to Nick’s defense when the captain had assigned Brian alone to the questioning. And though he would never admit it in the moment, he was actually looking forward to working an angle of the case without Nick’s poor behavior slowing him down. It wasn’t like Nick had been on an even kilter with Brian on the case so far anyway.

“Good luck with that,” Nick snorted. “You owe me lunch.”

And just like that, Nick cut the conversation short, feet propped up on the conference table as he leaned back in the chair to sift through his stack of papers. Brian didn’t try to argue with him, either. The least amount Nick chose to interfere with in that moment, the more Brian would actually be able to get done.

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

Affording a sigh of relief, Brian stepped out through the front door of his house, far more awake and refreshed after cutting out of the precinct early to go home and shower prior to his meeting with inmate Eddie Medina. Truth was, Nick’s constant grumblings while working on the phone records in the conference room had begun to significantly wear thin on Brian’s patience and there was only so much reasoning he could offer the younger detective before it was clear he was only speaking to a brick wall.

It also didn’t help that Brian had spent the night sleeping hunched over at his desk in his office at the precinct. Usually he’d stretch out on the small couch in the room for a few hours of shut eye when his work kept him at the precinct late into the evening hours. But it hadn’t actually been his intention not to retreat to the comforts of his own home the previous night. As it was, he’d already spent the past two nights prior immersing himself in the current case he and Nick had been assigned. Truth be told, though, Brian didn’t even remember falling asleep.

Then again, the empty house that greeted him late that morning when Brian did finally return was more than a little depressing, cold, and empty. He had never been much of a fan of spending extended periods of time at home alone without his wife and teenage son by his side or the company of friends for that matter; the modern two story had a way of making you feel like it was swallowing you whole. It was about 3,500 square feet too many with more rooms than they knew what to do with, but Leighanne had insisted from the moment she laid her eyes on it three years prior and Brian had never been able to find it in himself to tell his wife no when she got her mind set on something, especially when he recognized the light of happiness it brought to her gorgeous eyes.

After all, the Littrell residence was in a highly desirable neighborhood in one of the surrounding suburbs on the outskirts of the city. It was a safer area to raise a family in, that much Brian could admit to, considering he always had to worry about concerns regarding the safety of the environments he placed Baylee in, now that his son was getting older. He just hated how impersonal and unforgiving the house became when his family was gone. Perhaps that was part of his subconscious reasoning to stay away when he knew he would be there alone. 

Now was no different. Baylee wouldn’t be home from camping with a group of his friends and one of their families until that coming Sunday and he wasn’t entirely sure when Leighanne was due to return home. Having made quite the name and reputation for herself within the law community, especially after the victory she secured with a high profile case the previous year, Brian’s wife had also taken on the responsibility of speaking at frequent lawyer and law related conventions, some of which caused her to travel out of state for days at a time. Brian had no qualms with his wife’s successful career, though. Leighanne was proud of her accomplishments and rightfully so.

Balancing a thermal mug of fresh coffee and a breakfast sandwich in one hand, Brian fumbled to lock the front door and then turned to make his way down the porch and along the cobblestone path to where he’d left his car waiting in the driveway. Considering he had left himself with more than enough time to get home and freshen up, he wasn’t exactly in a hurry to get back to the precinct. He even considered avoiding the faster track of the Expressway, if not just to afford himself a few more minutes to gather his thoughts before he dived headfirst into questioning Eddie Medina.

Brian unlocked the driver’s door and lowered himself into the seat. As the engine roared to life and then settled into a quiet purr, the cool blast from the air conditioning system was a welcome relief from the humid summer air on the outside and before long, he had eased himself into the steady flow of the mid-morning suburb traffic.

Glancing at the clock on the dashboard and taking note of the time, Brian reached out to the touch screen and connected a call to Leighanne’s number, with hopes of being able to catch her before she entered into the day’s discussion board session. The call connected on the third ring and Brian smiled to himself when his wife’s voice filtered through the vehicle’s speaker system a moment.

“Oh good, I caught ya in time,” he greeted her.

“You did,” Leighanne agreed with a tell all smile evident in her voice. “I was just about to walk into the banquet hall for the next session. Your timing is impeccable, my dear.”

“Hmmm, it’s a skill well refined over many years of practice,” Brian chuckled. “I know you’re busy. I can let you go.”

“No!” Leighanne quickly told him. “I have time to spare. I’m glad you called.”

Brian listened as Leighanne greeted a colleague who passed by her. “This is the last discussion board for this conference isn’t it?”

“There’s one more tomorrow afternoon…” Leighanne trailed.

“But…?” Brian sighed knowingly. “There’s a ‘but’ coming, isn’t there.”

Leighanne spoke to someone in the background again before returning her attention to the call. “But,” she continued, “I won’t be coming home as soon as I had hoped. I have to fly out to Seattle to give consultation at Hank’s firm after tomorrow’s board. It’s only for a day or two, though.”

Brian nodded, frowning to himself. “So...you’ll be home-”

“Sunday, at the latest,” Leighanne answered for him. “I’m sorry, babe.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry,” Brian told her, forcing a cheerful note to reflect in his tone. “You’ve got a job to do and you’re good at it. You think I’m gonna be mad? Hardly. I get to walk around with bragging rights that I’ve got a super hot wife who is a damn good attorney.”

“Brian Thomas…” Leighanne chided, laughing softly regardless. “Always the king of flattery.”

“She’s good between the sheets too, but...I keep that little tidbit to myself.”

“I miss you, too,” Leighanne mused.

“Yeah…” Brian smiled, bringing the car to a slow rolling stop at a traffic light. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he brought the rim of the thermal mug to his lips and swallowed a long sip of the coffee. Dark brewed and strongly fragrant, just how he preferred it. He sighed again before he could stop himself.

“Brian, you sound exhausted,” Leighanne told him, concern hinting in her voice. “Have you not been sleeping?”

“I have,” he insisted.

“In your office at the precinct,” she countered knowingly.

Brian directed the car through the intersection. “This case has all of my attention right now, Leigh,” he tried to explain. “Besides, the bed is lonely without my wifey.”

“That isn’t an excuse to stay at the precinct at night and sleep in your office,” Leighanne told him pointedly.

Brian shrugged. “It’s my excuse.”

“Okay, I’ll be in there in a moment,” Leighanne spoke to someone on the other end of the line. “I need to get in there, babe. I will call you once I’m settled back in my room at the hotel.”

“Go knock ‘em dead, hot stuff,” Brian chuckled with a grin.

Leighanne’s tone became serious. “Promise me you’ll actually go home to sleep tonight.”

“I make no promises-”

“Brian, I am serious-”

“I will think about it,” Brian relented before the call was abruptly disconnected without the chance to properly say goodbye. He knew Leighanne was incredibly busy at that moment; it surprised him that he had managed to secure her attention for as long as the call had lasted. Of course he would have preferred to have spoken with his wife longer, but the short conversation would have to do for now. Now, though, it was time to get back to business. His mind wandered and he even briefly entertained the thought of calling Nick to check in on his progress with Luca Giacomo’s phone records, but Brian figured he would find out soon enough.

A mere half hour later, Brian pulled into his reserved parking spot in the back parking lot of the precinct and climbed out without hesitation. He sent a quick text to his son as he made his way to the back entrance, checking in on him as he did every morning--despite Baylee’s protests that his parents didn’t need to worry about him as much as they did--and then slipped his phone into his back pocket as he entered his personal ID code onto the keypad that would allow him entrance into the building.

Crossing the main lobby of the precinct, Brian proceeded to navigate a series of hallways until he came upon a glass door barrier just to the right of the check-in point used by the personnel seeking access to the jail and its inmates within. He offered a polite smile to greet the familiar female officer working the access point as he reached for the sign-in clipboard on the counter. “Good morning, Jillian.”

“Detective Littrell,” Jillian returned the greeting with a firm nod. She watched him quickly scribble the date, his name, and the time before setting the pen down and reaching to remove his gun from the holster on his hip. “Word was circulating that you would be paying our side a visit this morning.”

Brian nodded, sliding his gun across the counter to her to be kept behind lock and key until he was finished with his business. “I’m here to question an inmate,” he explained, watching as the officer worked to stow the firearm. He leaned against the edge of the counter, waiting for her to finish. “It’s not often I get to see this side of the precinct anymore.”

“Yes, well, it’s not often we get the pleasure of a kind smile on this side,” Jillian said, turning back around to face him.

“Comes with the territory, doesn’t it?” Brian offered with a cheeky grin.

Jillian smiled at him, handing Brian a visitors badge to clip onto his shirt. “Good luck in there.”

“Thanks,” Brian said. He took the badge and clipping it onto the front of his shirt, he stepped to the side to wait while Jillian buzzed the door open.

The door swung open with an electronic buzzing ‘whir’, allowing Brian to step through to the other side. He moved carefully down the brightly lit hallway until he reached another check point, this time greeted by a tall male officer that approached Brian almost as soon as he had rounded the corner and stepped out into the open. They shook hands cordially and the officer motioned for Brian to follow him down another hallway directly across the open room.

“Right on time, detective,” the officer mentioned. “You’ll be in Interrogation Room Three. Inmate Medina is being fetched as we speak.”

“Thank you,” Brian responded, nodding to signal his understanding. Coming to a stop outside of a closed door, he watched as the officer proceeded to unlock and open it for him.

“Would you prefer an officer to be in the room during the questioning?” the officer asked as Brian moved to step past him into the room.

“That won’t be necessary,” Brian told him.

Nodding without another word, the officer turned from Brian, shutting the door and heading back down the hallway in the same direction they had come from.

Inhaling deeply, Brian moved further into the room, towards the table and two chairs that were set perfectly in the middle. The room was otherwise barren, as was standard for the typical interrogation room, but it wasn’t at the top of his list of concerns. Just like he knew the large mirror on the far wall served as a two-way window. Personnel could observe from the next room over without being seen, but as far as the inmates knew, they were just staring into the eyes of their own reflection. Although, Brian found himself wondering just how cut and dry that was. A bit ignorant to think there was no suspicions to be had; television and movies did a grand job proving that point.

No sooner had Brian taken a seat at the table did the door to the room reopen and he looked up to watch as the officer from before returned, accompanied by another fellow officer guiding inmate Eddie Medina into the room. Brian kept a steady gaze focused on the trio as they approached and then as both officers forced the inmate to sit on the chair across from him. As one of the officers worked at securing the inmate’s handcuffs to a metal ring on top of the edge of the table, the other did the same to the cuffs around the man’s ankles, securing them to the metal ring on the floor.

It was at that moment that Eddie Medina lifted his gaze to lock it with Brian’s and for a split second, it actually sent a chill down the detective’s spine. The inmate sitting across from him may have been tall and thin, but he carried a muscular build that not even the two piece articles of clothing issued by the jail could hide. Eddie Medina’s eyes were an eerie shade of dark brown and it was clear with the way he stared at Brian that he used their intimidating factor to his advantage frequently.

Eddie didn’t speak as the officers yanked on the cuffs keeping him in place to assure they were as secure as could be and when the second officer hissed at him to refrain from causing any trouble, the corners of Eddie’s mouth simply curled upward into an arrogant smile. Brian forced his attention to remain focused on the inmate, despite the urge he felt to look away as he waited for the officers to leave the room.

Moments later, the door clicked shut, draping the room in a thick silence that Brian found to be almost suffocating. Setting his phone face up on the surface of the table, he opened the voice app and tapped the record button.

“Mr. Medina, I’m Detective Brian Littrell. You have been offered the presence of legal counsel during today’s recorded questioning, to which I have been informed that you have declined,” Brian spoke, pulling a small notepad and pen out of his pocket. “Can you state for the record if this is accurate?”

Eddie Medina shrugged his shoulders carelessly, his dark eyes narrowed in concentration on Brian. “Whatever.”

Brian glanced at him again. “Mr. Medina, please state for the record your confirmation that you have declined to have legal counsel present-”

“I don’t need any fucking legal counsel,” Eddie snapped back at him. Their eyes met and his mouth curled up into a sneering smirk. “My lawyer isn’t going to be able to help me.”

“If you require a change in legal counsel-”

“You don’t get it. There’s not a damn thing you or some hot shot lawyer can do to help me now.”

It was all Brian could do to swallow his sigh of frustration. Setting the pen down, he folded his arms atop the table with hopes of taking a more unpretentious approach. “Everyone is deserving of sufficient legal assistance,” he countered. “No matter the crime of the accused.”

Eddie released a chuckle that originated from deep within his throat, his head shaking as he glanced down at his dry calloused hands. “It doesn’t matter. Not now.”

“What doesn’t matter?” Brian questioned, his interest uncertain. If it were at all possible, Eddie’s eyes seemed to shift a shade darker and it unnerved Brian just enough that he wasn’t sure what to make of it. However, he could already tell that the inmate sitting in front of him had a near unbreakable stubborn streak that wasn’t a force to be reckoned with and without the correct strategic way of thinking, Brian would certainly have his work cut out for him.

“I looked through your file before I came to visit you today,” he continued, keeping his tone of voice casual and calm. “Quite the impressive rap sheet you’ve accumulated.”

The smirk on the Eddie’s face returned. “I’m a career man,” the inmate replied.

Brian nodded slowly. “I see that.You’ve been a frequent flyer for most of your life,” he mused with a chuckle of his own. “Petty theft and mischief when you were younger, multiple accounts of assault, breaking and entering, burglary and vandalism of personal and public property, drug possession with intent to distribute, and most recently grand theft auto? That’s just the stuff you’ve been caught for. You’ve been a busy man, Eddie.”

“Am I supposed to be impressed that you did your homework?” Eddie questioned, his brows raised.

“You either are or you aren’t. It doesn’t bother me none either way,” Brian dismissed with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. “But you know what else your file told me?”

Eddie’s face remained stoic. “What’s that?”

Brian’s expression turned serious, wordlessly commanding all of the inmate’s attention. “You’ve run out of chances,” he answered. “In fact, Eddie, you’re going away for a very...very long time.”

“God, you blue pigs are all the same,” Eddie snarled, annoyance becoming apparent on his face. He leaned forward just slightly, as much as the restraints would allow him to, and focused his steely stare on the detective. “You walk around like a bunch of mechanical robots in your structurized world with all of your rules and laws and thinking you can be the slave master while you make the rest of society your little bitch. But really, Detective...who is the little bitch here?”

Pursing his lips, Brian afforded a moment to think of a response. “The ones who believe they are untouchable.”

“ **_Nobody’s_ ** untouchable,” Eddie countered with an inward scuff. “So if you think you can scare me with the idea that I have a long sentence ahead of me? Joke’s on you, Detective. It would be a fucking vacation compared to what’s going to happen to me.”

“What do you mean ‘what’s going to happen to you’, Eddie?” Brian glanced at the phone’s screen, noting the amount of time that had passed and that the open page of his notepad was still blank.

Eddie’s stare became vacant in that moment; his eyes remained fixated on Brian, but they appeared to stare right through him. “You think talking to you comes without consequences?”

“Consequences?” Brian tried to clarify.

“You brought me here because you want intel to help you crack your case,” Eddie told him pointedly. “Intel you think that  **_I_ ** have.”

Brian nodded slowly. “...That’s right. Word has it that you could provide some insight.”

“I’m not a fucking snitch,” Eddie snapped. He tried to sit back in the chair, momentarily forgetting about the restraints until they tugged in resistance as he moved. Grunting under his breath, his posture stiffened and he clasped his hands tightly together. “You ever seen a dead man walking before now, Detective?”

“I’ve seen my fair share of things I would rather forget,” Brian explained. “Things I can’t unsee. People whose faces will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. It comes with the territory.”

“Can’t survive on the streets without it,” Eddie offered in agreement. “You either have thick skin or you might as well be asking to be taken out. Don’t take much to get that hit put out on your head. The streets are unforgiving when you become a liability.”

Brian feigned placing control of the conversation into the inmate’s hands, recognizing the slight break in the man’s resolve presenting him with the opportunity he needed to dig deeper. “I imagine the risks of becoming a liability out there are higher depending on who you answer to-”

And just like that, the change in Eddie’s eyes was unmistakable. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re out there or in here,” he said roughly, pausing only momentarily before adding, “Once you’re a liability, you’re as good as dead.”

“How about we quit beating around the bush, Eddie?” Brian spoke up after a deep breath to mask his frustration. “We both know you’re not stupid and neither am I. So, how about I make you a deal?”

“For someone who claims to be so smart, you sure do speak awful stupid,” Eddie dismissed him, his anger rising rapidly as his patience thinned. “You have no idea what the Hell it is you are getting yourself into with this, Detective. You’re a damned fool thinking it’s just about the drugs and the money and some guy who is the mastermind behind it all. It’s so much fucking more complex than your pathetic little mind can begin to understand.”

“Then why don’t you try to help me understand,” Brian pressed him. “Tell me what I need to know, Eddie. You help me and I’ll help you.”

“Open your fucking eyes, Detective,” Eddie growled at at him. “This goes beyond what you know how to deal with. Take a long hard look around you; you’re nothing more than a sitting duck with a target on your back. You don’t even see it.”

Brian stared wordlessly across the table at the inmate, mentally trying to decipher the bitter words that spewed from the man’s mouth. Though none of it made any more sense than what Brian already knew prior to when he had entered the interrogation room. And so, he shut his notepad and slipped it with the pen back into his pocket. “If you refuse to cooperate, I can’t do anything to help you-”

“I’m not gonna tell you shit,” Eddie snarled. “You can fuck off for all I care. Keep digging the way you are and it’ll catch up to you. You’re getting yourself in way over your head.”

Slowly rising to his feet, Brian reached to grab hold of his phone and stop the recording from progressing further. “Then there’s nothing I can do to help you, Eddie,” he muttered with a shake of his head. He turned from the table to step in the direction of the doorway, feeling Eddie’s eyes following him.

“The streets may be unforgiving, but who you’re dealing with is even less forgiving. You keep your friends close but your enemies even closer,” the inmate called out to him. “I’d watch my fucking back if I were you, Detective.”

Brian paused at the door, hand hovering over the handle. “I will say the same to you for where you’re being sent upstate.”

“At least I’m not the one walking out of here today with a man’s blood on my hands.”

The words sliced through the thickness of the air like a serrated knife, but as much as it deterred Brian in the moment, he forced himself to refrain from looking back over his shoulder one last time and instead yanked the door open to reveal the two officers from before waiting on the other side. Refusing to meet their stares, Brian stormed past them and down the hallway without a word, the sound of the inmate’s cackling echoing in his wake.

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

With the light of day having sunk below the horizon hours before, the humidity from an unexpected rain shower that passed through the area during the early evening still hung in the air. Steam lifted from the smouldering pavement, thickening the shadows that came with nightfall, creating an eerie landscape that most seemed smart enough to steer clear from. Even the silence of the night was oddly empty and lifeless, and yet thick and suffocating all at the same time and it came with its advantages.

Sinking comfortably into the shadows of the darkness surrounding him in the alley way, the Boss kept his eyes carefully focused upward at the only lit window three floors up on the familiar decrepit apartment building. The golden glow radiating outward from the window stood out like a sore spot hard on the eyes in the otherwise dark night, partially illuminating the rusty metal fire escape scaling the building that he had spent a good long while studying from where he stood.

Bringing an unlit cigarette up to his lips, he flicked the flame from his lighter against the tip and inhaled a long satisfying drag before exhaling a cloud of smoke into the open space in front of him.

Three times now Lucia Giacomo had appeared in the frame of the window since returning home, her weary gaze peering nervously out into the night. He could tell she was anxious, almost as if she could feel the weight of his piercing stare, even though she couldn’t see him and truly didn’t know he was out there watching her. It was satisfying to watch the way the woman pulled the tattered drapes out of the way, looking one way down the alley and then the other before quickly ducking out of sight. Three times within the hour and he knew soon enough she would appear once again, predictable and visibly vulnerable.

_ ‘You  _ **_should_ ** _ be scared,’ _ he thought with a smirk of pleasure, bringing the cigarette up to his lips.

The curtains fluttered and as the Boss had been expecting, Lucia came into view, lingering longer than normal. There was fear in her dark almond-shaped eyes, more than the previous times and he could tell the vulnerability she was feeling was really beginning to wear on her. It was enough that the thought amused him and awoke in him a sexual desire to have his way with the woman, to conquer and claim restitution for all of the shit her bastard of a husband had caused him.

Oh the things the Boss could think of that he wanted to do to Lucia. And he would. When the moment was right, he would claim the little bitch and make her pay for her husband’s mistakes too, before she could add to his troubles. The woman would know her misery was because of Luca, her suffering a consequence of her association and the Boss would take great pleasure in being the one to inflict the punishment upon her.

Soon...very very soon.

Continuing to smirk to himself as the pleasure of anticipation swelled in his groin, the Boss brought his cell phone up to his ear just as Lucia ducked out of sight a fourth time. He listened to the call ring on the other end of the line before it was finally answered with a firm and obedient greeting from one of his associates.

“Call Donovan,” the Boss instructed, scowling when the light in Lucia’s apartment shut off, blanketing the wide alley way in complete darkness. “I want the hit taken care of tonight. Tell him not to screw it up.”

Disconnecting the call without regards to any response, the Boss took a final drag off the cigarette before flicking it away from him and moving down the alley way to the sleek black motorcycle he’d parked against the wall of the neighboring building. The shattering roar of the engine destroyed the stillness of the night and after securing his helmet upon his head, he sent the motorcycle ripping down the pavement and out onto the main roadway, disappearing in a blur of motion.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

“Inmate Eddie Medina was found dead in his cell this morning.”

Brian had barely been one foot off the elevator at the precinct when Captain Halverson had caught sight of the detective and snapped for him to come to his office immediately. Uncertain as to what the cause of the captain’s acrimony could be, all it took was a single catch of the man’s glare of daggers to know that it had something to do with Brian. What exactly that was, Brian couldn’t fathom, though he wasn’t about to keep the impatient captain waiting considering the mood he was currently in.

Not even his partner Nick, who surprisingly was at the precinct before Brian was for once, appeared to be just as confused as he was, although his snicker in Brian’s direction as he passed by could have spoken otherwise. Brian raised his brows in question without faltering in his steps, but the younger detective merely shrugged his shoulders, making it clear that even he wasn’t sure what had set their captain off, but he sure as Hell was glad he wasn’t the cause for once.

Yet, as the door slammed shut behind him, presumably out of irritation, and he took a hesitant seat in one of the chairs on the opposite side of the desk from where the captain sat shortly after, the last thing Brian expected to be told was that Eddie Medina was dead. There was no mistaking the fact that the captain was referring to the very inmate Brian had been assigned to question the previous morning, the very one that had been unwilling to cooperate and offered a few odd statements that were fleeting within Brian’s mind up until that point. There was also no mistaking that what the captain had said was true.

Eddie Medina was found dead in his cell.

“I don’t understand,” Brian found his voice to respond after a few moments had passed and he could feel the weight of Captain Halverson’s stare pressing upon him. It took even longer before he felt confident enough to meet that stare with his own and when he did, Brian registered an unease within that he was unfamiliar with as he tried to make sense of the revelation. “I just spoke with Inmate Medina yesterday-”

Captain Halverson leaned forward and folded his hands upon his desk in a manner of discernment. “And now he’s dead,” he repeated stiffly.

Brian shook his head, creases of stress forming across his forehead and at the corners of his eyes. “That doesn’t make any sense,” he all but stuttered without effort to hide the frown that twisted his weary expression. “How? I mean...what happened?”

“Inmate Medina was found hanging in his cell when he failed to report for mandatory work duty in the kitchen prior to breakfast,” Captain Halverson explained with a gruff note in his tone as he turned his attention to the computer monitor on his desk. His fingers tapped against the keys on the keyboard and when he was finished, he turned the monitor so that Brian was able to see the screen, revealing the preliminary report that had already been entered into the system. “Preliminary determination of death is suicide by hanging.”

“Suicide?” Brian leaned in closer to scrutinize the screen of the computer monitor. The preliminary report entered into the system by the jail personnel didn’t reveal much of anything other than reiterate what Captain Halverson had just told him, but the scant information provided worked to baffle Brian even more. Reluctantly, he sat back in his seat, his posture sinking with his surprise. “I...don’t even know what to say.”

“You don’t know what to say?” Captain Halverson repeated, his irritation rising with each passing second. “This was my wake up call this morning, Littrell. Do you understand how cranky that makes me? And now I’ve got the warden breathing down my neck, wanting to know why one of his inmates is dead after a questioning session conducted by one of  **_my_ ** detectives.”

“ **_You_ ** wanted me to question the guy,” Brian returned, staring back at the captain as if he were astonished that there was possible insinuation he were at some level of fault for the inmate’s death. “That’s exactly what I did. Check the visitors log. Speak with the officers on shift. I questioned Inmate Medina as I was supposed to, and then I left. Nothing more, nothing less. There wasn’t a thing we spoke about that could even remotely be considered useful to this case. And he sure as Hell didn’t give any indication that he was suicidal. With all due respect, sir, the entire interrogation was a waste of time.”

Captain Halverson didn’t so much as flinch with a single word that the detective slung towards him, but after Brian fell silent, he afforded a short sigh of frustration. “Listen, I’m not the one accusing you of anything or even suggesting that your conduct played a part in the death of Inmate Medina,” he said as his eyes flit to the screen of the computer monitor. Although, Brian wasn’t entirely sure if the captain was actually reading the words on the screen or just looking for a distraction. “But I need you to take a moment to look at it from the position I’m in. Guilty or not, this falls back on me. There will be an internal investigation. You will most likely be questioned. You can save both of us a shitload of trouble by turning in a written statement by the end of the day.”

“This is ridiculous...” Brian muttered to himself.

“It’s protocol,” Captain Halverson reminded him. “As much as it is a pain in the ass. You should also know that Chief Rinard has already been made aware of what has occurred. But if there’s anything you’d like to get out in the open, before I start working on damage control on our end, now would be the time to do it.”

“What do you think I would have to hide?” Brian motioned with his hands palms up as he countered the captain’s statement. “Jesus, captain, you know me better than that. I recorded the entire questioning session. I do my job right and I do it by the books. Give me a little more credit.”

“I need you to surrender that audio file,” Captain Halverson started to say when the phone on his desk lit up with a sharp ring. Grimacing, he gripped the receiver in annoyance and brought it up to his ear. “Captain Halverson.”

Disgruntled, Brian withdrew his cell phone from his pocket as he listened to the captain speaking to whoever was on the other end of the call, but his mind had already drifted elsewhere to the point that he wouldn’t have been able to recall a single word currently being said if asked. Not that it would matter one way or the other. All that mattered to Brian at that moment as he searched through his phone for the audio file containing the recorded interrogation of Inmate Medina was the fact that the man was now dead and the captain was trying to insinuate that Brian would possibly be looked at as carrying some sort of responsibility for the death.

“Littrell!”

Brian jumped in his seat just as his thumb tapped the screen of his phone to open the folder the file was located in. He looked up to find Captain Halverson once again seething at him, hinting towards the unpleasant phone call he had just endured. “I’m sorry, sir,” he mustered.

“I don’t have time for this right now,” Captain Halverson spat as he roughly pushed his chair back and stood to attention. “Get the Hell out of my office, Littrell. Don’t get yourself into anymore trouble and get that damn audio file to me, understand? I’ve got a meeting to get to to deal with the fall out from this.” He paused before adding, “Why are you still sitting there?”

Brian’s eyes had turned icy by that point, but he knew better than to speak out of place. Making a quick exit before the captain had the opportunity to change his mind was probably in the best of Brian’s interests, so he quickly rose to his feet and turned towards the door as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“Just sent the file to you,” he mentioned and covered the length of the floor to move out of the office before Captain Halverson could slam him with any further less than friendly conversation. The door latched shut loudly behind Brian, causing him to flinch, but what irritated him further was when he nearly barreled into his partner who was waiting outside the captain’s office with a knowing smirk while he casually leaned against the wall. Brian stood there rigidly for a moment, fighting the urge to smack the smirk off of Nick’s face.

“...Well?” Nick finally pressed with raised brows when it became obvious Brian wasn’t going to willingly speak.

“Well what?” Brian gruffed in return as he pushed past the taller detective in hopes of avoiding the uncomfortable digging for information about what had just transpired in the captain’s office. But of course, true to Nick’s nature of not letting things rest without a fight, Brian could hear him quickly following in his wake.

“Oh, c’mon!” Nick snickered, keeping in stride behind him. “It’s not often I get to see  **_you_ ** on the receiving end of the captain’s shit storm. Dude, you walked out of his office looking like he pissed in your Cheerios. It’s fucking refreshing.”

“It’s not important.” Brian grabbed a stack of papers that were held out to him as he passed by one of the lower level detectives working under his supervision on the case and offered the man a nod of thanks. However, he made no effort to thumb through the stack as he closed the distance to his own office, unlocking the door without regard and hastily turning on the light.

Nick caught the door with his hand before Brian could slam it shut in his face and scowled at his partner, whose back was conveniently turned towards him. “Of course it’s fucking important,” he continued. Leaning against the doorframe, Nick crossed him arms over his chest. “You’re acting pissier than a cock-blocked sonofabitch on prom night. It’s my business to be in your business, man. Why do you always act like it surprises you that I’m such a nosy asshole? It’s kinda old news.”

Brian abandoned the stack of papers amidst the growing mess of documents already covering his desk. “Trust me, you don’t make it easy to forget,” he muttered.

Nick hissed inwardly. “Geez, Captain Tight Pants really did light the fuse to your tampon.”

Inhaling a slow deep breath to calm his rapidly growing irritation, Brian turned to face his partner. “You know that inmate I questioned yesterday...Eddie Medina?”

“Yeah, what about him?” Nick returned, his attention already seeming to wane as he reached for a clickable pen on Brian’s desk, clicking it repeatedly with an amused smirk.

Brian hastily snatched the pen out of Nick’s grasp. “He’s dead.”

“No shit?” Nick shoved his hands into his pockets as he focused on the seriousness in Brian’s expression. “Okay, so…? Is that what Halverson was ramming your ass about in there? What the Hell does that have to do with you?”

“You don’t think it’s a little odd that I just questioned him yesterday about the case we’re working and he ends up dead the next day? Of an apparent suicide?” Brian pointedly told him. “Internal is launching an investigation. They want a written statement from me. Captain thinks they’ll want to question me about my conduct.”

Nick snorted to dismiss the idea for the cause of Brian’s concern. “Don’t get your panties all knotted up your ass about it,” he said with an apathetic shrug of his shoulders. “Hell, I’d probably kill myself too if I was stuck in that place, especially where they were gonna send him afterwards. It’s a fucking shit show.”

Brian pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index fingers, eyes clenched shut for a moment to will away the migraine he felt forming. “I don’t need this trouble right now,” he mumbled.

“Oh yeah,” Nick countered with an acerbic chuckle. “God forbid you encounter any sort of hiccup in your race to become chief. Would hate for Dumb and Dumber to think their little protege isn’t perfect.”

“For Christ’s sake, Nick!” Brian snapped at him harshly, his voice raising and catching the younger detective off guard. “Shut the fuck up about it already! The last thing I need right now is for you to run your mouth like the damn immature child you really are! Act like a fucking decent human being for once!”

Nick blinked at him, clearly taken aback by Brian’s brazen choice of language, and opened his mouth to respond, but he found himself entirely at a loss for words. Not to mention the glare of anger in Brian’s eyes was enough to keep him in his place. “Huh…” he mumbled after a while, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

“Do me a favor,” Brian stressed without leaving room for argument. “Today of all days, just refrain from being a miserable pain in my ass. Just this  **_one_ ** day.”

“Yeah, sure, fine,” Nick waved him off before returning his hands to his pockets. “It’s not like grumpy you is a barrel of fucking laughs any way.”

Brian eyed his partner critically, but with his patience having left him, he couldn’t think of a single response that would suffice in removing the remainder of the smirk from Nick’s face. “I have to go meet with Lucia,” he finally muttered, dropping the pen back onto his desk and moving to step around Nick.

“Oh? Lucia? We’re on a first name basis now?” When Brian didn’t respond to the quip, once again, Nick was quick to follow in his wake. “I’m going with you,” he stated without regard, allowing the door to Brian’s office to click shut behind him.

“Why?” Brian questioned, swallowing his sigh.

“Why not?” Nick countered, stepping into stride beside him as they made their way towards the elevators. “Last I checked, I was your partner. We get paid to do...partner-y things.”

“They don’t pay you to be a pain in my ass, Nick,” Brian corrected him and stepped onto one of the elevators when the chrome door slid open. He avoided eye contact with Nick and jabbed his finger impatiently against the button that would take him to the main floor of the precinct.

Nick casually leaned against the back wall of the elevator as it began to move. “Why you always gotta be trying to hurt my feelings like this?”

“Word of advice, Nicky,” Brian suggested. “Time to put your big boy undies on. It’s not my job to babysit your feelings.”

“Stop fucking calling me that.” Huffing out a breath of annoyance through his nostrils, Nick was quick to realize that the sound was lost upon the shorter man and resigned to the idea that Brian’s patience was even less pliable than he had originally expected. Which was a bit on the impressive side, considering just how much it usually took to break Brian’s resolve when it came to patience.

It came as no surprise to Nick that Brian didn’t willingly offer any further correspondence as they made their way through the precinct and out the back to where their vehicles were parked. Even when a few of their fellow patrol officers greeted them in the parking lot, Brian didn’t offer them a single ounce of his attention in return and hastened his travel to his car. So, for once, Nick kept his mouth shut and even when Brian cursed in frustration at the traffic during their commute to the east side of the city, he opted against adding further fuel to the fire with his sarcasm.

By the time Brian brought the car to a stop curbside out front of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, his unusual moodiness seemed to have evened itself back out. He climbed out of the vehicle wordlessly and allowed his gaze to shift upward at the towering grandeur of the red and light tan brick Gothic Revival-esque architecture of the church. Even the pointy spires flanking the two asymmetrical steeples anchoring each side commanded admiration from those who set their eyes upon the structure.

But it wasn’t the magnificence of the building that caught Brian’s attention the most. Rather it was the fact that his car was one of only a few parked in conjunction with the church. Considering what Brian knew about Luca Giacomo’s history from his file and word of mouth from his widow, he wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. Though part of him really wasn’t all that surprised, all things considered.

Locking the car behind him, Brian moved up the stone steps in an even pace with Nick, who had remained uncharacteristically silent since stepping out into the open air. They paused just long enough at the black heavy steel double doors and gave consideration to the appropriately placed black sign with white appliqué lettering that detailed the memorial taking place inside at that very moment. Brian looked down at his watch to verify the time, and after making the sign of the cross, he pulled one of the doors open to step inside.

The atmosphere on the inside was a vast contrast to that on the outside. Even Nick appeared to fall prey to the demand for a respectful air of quiet as they crossed the threshold of the lobby and through the open doors to the sanctuary; Brian didn’t need to glance at his partner to know that Nick was being purposefully stiffly silent as they moved.

Of course, the quietude of the recorded organ music playing in the background was intimidating as much as it beckoned visitors further inside. The cavity of the sanctuary was extravagantly built with a Gothic cathedral flair, seen especially with the high rise of the vaulted rib ceilings and the awe-inspiring stained glass windows depicting various religious figures and Biblical scenes. Though Brian, himself, had been raised within the Baptist Christian faith, he could appreciate the standards of the Catholic church’s architecture.

The rows of pews were all but vacated as Brian and Nick made their way down the open aisle separating the two sides. Brian could count the number of attendees sporadically scattered about with the fingers on one hand and that was including Lucia Giacomo, who he spotted sitting alone in the middle of the front row on the left side collection of pews. With the lack of activity and the way the young woman sat sullenly by herself with her eyes focused on the closed dark mahogany casket at the front, Brian couldn’t help but wonder just how much of a memorial service it really was, nor could he help but pity the woman who was left in the rubbled wake of her husband’s tragic death.

“Let me do the talking,” Brian muttered under his breath to Nick, who neither acknowledged that he had been spoken to or argued the instruction. When they reached the front row, Brian stepped away from his partner and carefully approached Lucia, waiting until the sound of his footsteps caught her attention before he spoke. “Mrs. Giacomo.”

Lucia’s eyes locked with Brian’s and in that moment, he could feel all of her anger, sadness, confusion, and exhaustion radiating back at him. The dark orbs of her eyes were nearly indistinguishable from the black of her pupils, both of which blended in with the bloodshot patches of white. Lucia looked away from him quickly and instead shifted her gaze down upon her hands folded in her lap where she clutched a crinkled over-used tissue.

“Oh...thank you for coming, Detective…” she murmured in response, quiet enough that Brian almost didn’t hear her.

Brian lowered himself onto the spot beside her on the pew. “Are we late…?” He allowed his voice trail in question as he looked around them at the lack of attendees.

Lucia shook her head. “You were expecting more to be in attendance?” she guessed forlornly. Bringing the tissue up to her face, she dabbed at her eyes and looked forward once again at her husband’s casket. “Luca didn’t make friends very easily. And he wasn’t in contact with his extended family, not since his mother passed. He never really knew them anyway.”

“...And your family?” Brian guessed with uncertainty and he knew immediately that he had struck a sour chord when Lucia pursed her lips tightly together, trying to hold back the tear that ended up sliding down her cheek anyway. He frowned, watching her carefully. “I’m sorry for prying. It’s none of my business.”

Shaking her head with a trembling breath, Lucia tucked her long ebony hair behind her ear. “Most of my family is south of the border. I’ve only met them on a handful of occasions,” she shrugged with a barely audible sniffle. “My parents came here before I was born. They gained their citizenship before they had me because they wanted to give their children a better life, but as fate would have it...I was their only.”

Seeing a box of tissues nearby, Brian reached over to pluck one free and offered it to Lucia. “Do they know what happened?”

“My parents haven’t spoken to me since I married Luca,” Lucia lamented, her voice falling in volume as her show of emotion became impossible for her to hide. “They...they didn’t approve of my relationship with Luca from the beginning and when they found out we had wed, Papí disowned me. Mamí wouldn’t go against his wishes. I don’t know where they are or if they are even still living in the states.”

Brian opened his mouth to respond, but found himself speechless at the thought that in that vulnerable moment, the grieving widow appeared to truly be alone. “There are resources to help you during this time…” he suggested for a lack of better words to say.

Lucia shifted her attention back to the detective. “Thank you, Detective, but I can manage just fine on my own,” she dismissed, even though her demeanor spoke loudly otherwise. Sighing quietly, Lucia tried to muster a small smile, though it was anything but. “I don’t even know what I’m doing here right now. This wasn't my idea. I can’t afford a proper funeral for my own husband, but when Father Alarid heard what had happened, he insisted on providing the service.”

“Father Alarid is a good man, then,” Brian nodded in return.

“He barely knew Luca,” Lucia sniffled again and then she chuckled, drawing upon memories in her mind that were meant for her comfort. “Dragging Luca to church wasn’t for the faint of heart. He always said he was allergic to Mass. But I managed to get him here a few times. Father Alarid always took notice.”

“I attended Mass once…” Brian mused and it was all that needed to be said for Lucia to understand.

“It’s obvious you’re not Catholic, Detective,” Lucia told him.

“Born and raised Baptist,” he admitted with a sheepish smile.

“I wouldn’t have guessed your partner to be a Catholic though…” Lucia frowned, drawing Brian’s attention to her line of sight where Nick was opening up one side of the confessional before ducking out of sight as he shut it behind him.

“He’s not,” Brian answered in return, brows furled and only briefly affording a moment of consideration as to what business Nick would have inside the confessional. “Nick is...well, let’s just say I’ve learned over the years when and when not to question my partner’s idiosyncrasies.”

“Maybe time spent in confession could help him to be less of a miserable human being,” Lucia opposed with an expression that meant she didn’t believe in what she had just said and wasn’t about to hide her dislike for the other detective.

“He means well, but...people skills haven't always been his forte,” Brian attempted to explain, but the opportunity was lost when he realized Lucia had already returned her full attention to her husband’s casket. Her eyes were once again clouded over with her emotional anguish and Brian found himself wondering how the young woman was even keeping herself upright at that moment, let alone able to form a single coherent thought. Brian couldn’t even begin to imagine the true depths of her heartache.

Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, Brian watched her carefully. “You look as if you could benefit from some fresh air,” he suggested when she lifted a trembling hand to swipe at her eyes. “Perhaps it would be easier for us to talk if we stepped outside.”

“Yes, I think so,” Lucia responded with a firm nod. She reached beside her to grab her purse, adding in such a soft voice that she was barely heard above the organs, “I feel like I’m suffocating.”

Brian helped the petite woman to her feet and although it surprised him when she linked her arm with his, he didn’t argue the gesture and lead her carefully down the aisle. When they finally emerged into the warmth of the late morning sun a few short moments later, Brian thought he heard Lucia sigh a breath of relief. Allowing her to situate herself on the stone steps, Brian lowered himself to sit beside her with a small smile that was more out of habit than anything else.

“Better?” he questioned.

Hugging her purse to her chest, Lucia nodded at him. “Much,” she agreed. “Thank you. And really...thank you for coming today. I, um...I just...”

Brian kept his expression patient as he watched the woman struggle to speak. “It’s okay, take your time.”

“Now  **_that’s_ ** something I’m not used to hearing,” Lucia chuckled at the irony of Brian’s statement. Her eyes met the detective’s with a timid glance, but she looked away just as quickly as she had looked at him in the first place. “Luca...he lacked in the patience department.  _ ‘Get on with it, Lucia! Spit it out already!’ _ He wasn’t always the easiest to talk to. I’m sure you’re wondering how I could have fallen in love with him.”

“Not every fault dictates the totality of someone’s character,” Brian offered. “My wife could tell you I have plenty of faults of my own.”

“But she still loves you,” Lucia said.

Brian nodded with a short chuckle. “Yes. I sometimes wonder how or why, but…”

“Everyone deserves to be loved, Detective.” Lucia’s fingers nervously fiddled with the tattered faux leather strap of her purse. “Luca was a product of his shitty upbringing. He had a good heart, though...when he wasn’t acting stupid. He just...he didn’t know any better.”

“Then he was lucky to have you,” Brian told her in return.

Lucia’s face became withdrawn as she turned her attention away from him. “Doesn’t matter now, though,” she mustered with a bitter sniffle. Brian caught sight of the new tear that made the trek down her check before she could wipe it away. “Love isn’t enough to save everyone. Doesn’t matter how much you try…or how hard you love.”

“Mrs. Giacomo, I know I’ve already said this, but I need to say it again. This isn’t something you have to go through alone. There are people who can provide you assistance. I can make some calls...get you connected with the right resources-”

“...Can you help me find my parents?”

Brian was a bit surprised by the request considering their previous conversation regarding Lucia’s family just a short time before, but the shattered despair in her dark eyes when she looked at him once more spoke volumes he couldn’t deny. “I can’t make you any promises that I will be able to find them,” he started to answer her. “But I will do what I can with whatever information you can provide me. That is a promise I can make you.”

“What do I have to lose, right?” Lucia shrugged at the end of her rhetorical question. She dug into her purse and pulled out a small folded piece of paper, akin to the kind that came from a typical stationary notepad before extending it to Brian. “This is what I said I found when I called you yesterday.”

Taking the paper from her, Brian unfolded it and quickly scanned the messy scrawl with his eyes, recognizing part of the writing as a set of GPS coordinates that was followed by a date and time. “Does this hold any significance to you?” he questioned her as he continued to study the collection of numbers.

“No,” Lucia was quick to answer. “Well, the top numbers, no. I almost threw it away until I noticed the date and time. It’s the night that Luca...the last time I saw him alive. He left our apartment shortly before the time that is written on there.”

“Do you recognize the handwriting?” Brian turned the paper in search of other writing, but finding none, he turned it back over to focus his attention again on the scrawl.

Lucia leaned in to look closer, pointing towards the date and time. “That’s Luca’s writing. But those numbers above...I don’t recognize.”

Brian nodded, eyes scanning to the bottom of the sheet where he focused on a collection of semi-transparent gray lettering that was printed upon the paper to serve as a watermark. He held the paper up to block out the light from the sun and immediately noticed a nearly invisible logo come into view. “Club Kaos…” he murmured to himself, head tilted slightly to the side in consideration, although the name of the establishment didn’t draw any familiarity for him. “Does the name hold any significance for you?”

Withdrawing back to herself, Lucia avoided the detective’s questioning stare with a glare of contempt out at the road that passed in front of the church. “Yeah,” she huffed, almost unwilling to admit it. “It's a night club Luca started spending a lot of his free time at after he lost his job at the factory. He did the occasional odd job there to bring in some money...or at least that’s what  **_he_ ** said.”

“You don’t appear to be easily convinced…” Brian noted.

Lucia whipped her eyes back to him, disbelief clear in her expression. “I’m not an idiot,” she stiffly told him. “That place has a reputation and I could smell the women on him every time he came home. What money Luca made doing whatever it was he was doing, he brought home even less. So, no, Detective...I wasn’t convinced.”

Brian pulled his notepad out of his pocket and scribbled a few notes. “And you say Luca began to frequent the establishment when he lost his job?”

“Damn near. He went there for the first time the day the factory let him go,” Lucia explained, her voice dripping with clearer disdain. “I didn’t know where he was or even that he had lost his job until he came stumbling through the door at two in the morning, belligerently intoxicated and reeking of a stripper’s cheap perfume. Luca didn’t even have the balls to come home and tell me he had lost his job that day. Instead, he went to that piece of shit club and blew every penny he had on liquor and strippers and God knows what else he did while he was there.”

“That had to be upsetting,” Brian guessed, lowering his pen momentarily when he looked at Lucia to study her demeanor as she recounted the memory.

Lucia’s cheeks gradually turned a faint shade of crimson before she stared down at her hands with shame. “It was the one and only time I ever physically struck Luca,” she said just above a whisper. “We argued the worst we ever had that night. He said some really horrible things and he made me so angry that I didn’t even know I had slapped him across the face until I felt my hand throbbing.”

“Did he ever…?” Brian was reluctant to ask.

“No! God, no,” Lucia was quick to defend with a sharp shake of her head. “Luca never hit me. He was just loud. Yelling was his vice...especially when he drank.”

Affording a quick glance at his watch, Brian had the pen poised again. “What did you and Luca argue about when he came home?”

Lucia dug in her purse, pulling out another tissue to dab at her eyes with. “Money, the loss of his job, his decision to go to that club and what I accused him of doing there, but mostly we argued about money. Feels like we were always arguing about money. Between my job and his, we were always struggling to keep our head above the water. But, he insisted that everything would be changing because he had come across an opportunity that night while he was at the club.”

“An opportunity?” Brian tried to clarify.

“Luca never elaborated what the opportunity was,” Lucia shrugged. “Any time I pressed him about it, he just shut me out. Told me to mind my own damn business and stop worrying.”

“But he said he came across the opportunity at Club Kaos?” Brian clarified.

Lucia nodded and opened her mouth to continue, only to fall quiet prematurely when the doors to the church opened wide. She rose to her feet with Brian and they turned to watch as Nick emerged with a middle-aged man in stride beside him.

“There you are,” Nick said in Brian’s direction. He motioned to Brian with his hand, speaking to the man beside him. “This is my partner.”

Brian held his hand out to the man. “Detective Brian Littrell.”

The man took Brian’s hand in his own and shook it firmly. “Father Ben Alarid,” he greeted before clamping his hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Your partner here informed me that the two of you have been assigned to Luca’s case. It’s a real tragedy what has happened.”

“A tragedy indeed,” Nick agreed with a solemn nod and ignored Brian’s glance of quizzical surprise towards his unusual behavior. Forcing a grim smile, he turned to Father Alarid and grasped the man’s hand in a tight shake. “And thank you, Father Alarid, for listening to me.”

“My son, it is what Confession is for,” Father Alarid assured him. “Sometimes it is necessary to have someone intercede on our behalf in the presence of God. It is nothing to be ashamed of. I will be praying for you, and for you as well, Detective Littrell. May our Father God guide your way with favor.”

Brian nodded at him to express his thanks before returning his attention to Lucia. “We’ll be in touch. You have my number if you think of anything else.”

Father Alarid caringly ushered Lucia back into the church and it was no sooner that the doors had latched shut did Brian hear the sarcastic snort escape his partner. He turned to Nick just in time to catch sight of the way he rolled his eyes with his lips curling up into a sardonic smirk. Brian couldn’t help his own scowl and made no effort to hide it.

“ **_Seriously_ ** , Nick?”

“What?” Continuing to smirk in amusement, Nick withdrew a pack of cigarettes from his pocket as he stepped past Brian to casually descend the stone steps.

Brian wasted no time following him. “What the Hell was all of that just now?” he demanded in irritation. Reaching the bottom of the steps, he extended his arm out and gripped Nick’s shoulder to keep him from moving further. “Confession with the Father? You’re not even Catholic!”

“So?” Nick lit the end of the cigarette he had placed between his lips and inhaled a long drag. “I fed him a bunch of bullshit and he ate it up. What the Hell else did you expect me to do with my time while you were getting all cozy with Giacomo’s widow? Get off your fucking holier than thou high horse.”

“You’re a damn idiot, you know that? A little God in your life would actually do you some good.” Hastily snatching the cigarette from between Nick’s lips, Brian flicked it to the ground and stepped around his partner to make his way back to where he’d left his car curbside.

*****

“Dude...are you even fucking listening to me?”

Grimacing as the grittiness of his partner’s voice tore through the barrier of his muddled thoughts, Brian swallowed a sigh and slowly turned his attention to where Nick sat comfortably reclined back in the passenger seat, arms raised and hands tucked behind his head as if it were just another typical day at the office...an office he owned. 

But just as quickly as Brian had looked at him, he looked away again to hide the brief flash of embarrassment that crossed his face because he truly hadn’t been listening. There was no telling how long his partner had been speaking before finally catching hold of his attention, either. Thanks to the thick fog clouding his mind, Brian could suffice it to say that there had not only been a lapse in his judgment, but a lapse in the time he could recall as well. 

As if the weight of Nick’s accusation wasn’t enough, the nauseating throbbing of the migraine that had begun to form that morning after stepping into their captain’s office was a reminder that Brian hadn’t been paying attention, at least not in the way Nick had been expecting him to. Brian wasn’t exactly prone to falling into the pits of distraction, but that afternoon, he couldn’t seem to pull himself out of his mind long enough to give Nick the satisfaction of his full attention. He didn’t even need to look at his partner to know that it left Nick irritated and more than a little annoyed.

“I’m sorry,” Brian mustered after a few moments as he ran his hand over his face with a quiet sigh. “What were you saying?”

Nick’s scowl was a brazen example of his disapproval of his partner’s response and he snorted with a shake of his head. “Jesus, it’s like talking to a brick wall, only a brick wall has more of a personality than you do these days,” he scoffed, only to sit up straight a moment later when he heard the driver’s door to the vehicle opening. Watching Brian step out wordlessly, Nick wasted no time following him with an even deeper scowl. “Hey, wait up!”

Unwilling to afford a response, Brian took the opportunity to gain several paces ahead of where they had parked just a few yards short of the shadowed underside of one of the overpasses bridging the lower east side Bay Area district.

The area sat near the epicenter of a long forgotten neglected portion of the failing industrial sector of Old Town, one of the many bruises upon the city’s splendor that the citizens would rather forget about. And forget about it, they did. As technology and resources advanced, so did the demand for areas that were more appealing and the general population of the old Industrial age pulled out without so much as looking back. The landscape which had once boomed with activity and promise, now stood in a collection of decaying abandoned buildings and forgotten dreams that had paved the path for something better elsewhere. 

It was generally an unspoken rule that you didn’t stop in the area for long unless you were looking for trouble. That alone indicated that trouble was what the depreciated area of the city attracted. So it didn’t surprise Brian much when the numbers on the paper Lucia gave him turned out to be coordinates that led him and Nick directly to the heart of crime central. And now standing in that spot, it made a lot more sense to Brian that Luca had been assigned the coordinates as a meeting place. It wouldn’t be the first time, nor would it be the last, that the area housed the less than honest endeavors of their society’s dangerous individuals.

Brian adjusted the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose before slipping his hands into the pockets of his slacks and continued to survey their surroundings with silent consideration. Luca had visited that very spot on the night of his death. The time and date had been specific and Brian could confidently conclude that it had indeed been the place of an organized meeting. Now the questions were who had Luca been meeting and just how long had the meeting taken place prior to the time of his death?

“You’re talking to yourself,” Nick’s voice tore through Brian’s thoughts once again.

“What?” Brian asked, looking at his partner sideways.

Nick rolled his eyes and purposely enunciated the first letter of each word in his response. “You’re. Talking. To. Yourself.”

Brian rolled his eyes and returned his attention in front of him. “I’ve got a lot on my mind right now, Nick.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ve got Halverson ripping you a new asshole, you’re chasing your tail with this case, and you haven’t had a good screw since Leighanne left town,” Nick dismissed with an arrogant shake of his head. “I get it, dude. It’s called Blue Balls Syndrome.”

Pursing his lips together in stringent thought, it took a long drawn out moment before Brian offered a response, one that ignored Nick’s wisecrack. “I just...I don’t know. I can’t wrap my mind around the death of Inmate Medina. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Seriously, you’re letting it bother you that much?” Nick idly paced around close by where Brian stood, arms crossed over his chest. “The sonofabitch offed himself, Brian. It’s not unheard of. He was being sent upstate.  **_No one_ ** wants to be sent upstate. So he took the coward’s way out and did us all a favor. Saves the tax payers a few dollars, too. Halverson will get over it.”

“It’s not that simple,” Brian muttered, more to himself than Nick.

“Why the Hell can’t it be?” Nick returned. “Halverson gets paid to walk around like he’s got a stick shoved way up his ass. Stop taking it so personal.”

“This has nothing to do with the captain,” Brian told him. “Halverson is the least of my worries.”

“This is above my pay grade,” Nick grumbled inwardly. “They don’t pay me enough to try to decipher the shit that comes out of your mouth.”

Brian turned to Nick at that moment, seemingly oblivious to his partner’s vocalized show of sarcasm. “He was afraid to talk to me.”

“Medina?” Nick tried to clarify with an amused chuckle. “That asshole looked like he would be Hulk with the wrong button pushed. No offense, but...you’re like one pancake more than a short stack. You’re not exactly the most intimidating and-”

Brian ignored Nick’s insults and continued. “He wasn’t afraid  **_of_ ** me, Nick. He was afraid to  **_talk_ ** to me,” he countered with a tight shake of his head. “Consequences. That’s what he said. Consequences for talking to me.”

Nick held his hands up, trying to refrain from laughing at the rigid seriousness expressed upon Brian’s face. “Then he was talking to you in circles. Hell, he was talking out his ass. The inmates do that. You know that. Seriously, you are thinking way too deep into this. Medina was suicidal, clearly. He had nothing left to lose, so he wasted your time for some last minute entertainment.”

“I’ve seen what suicidal looks like,” Brian stated as he turned his back to Nick and began to move further away from the parked car, gaining ground on the shadowed area the overpass high above produced.

Nick followed in his partner’s wake. “Yeah, so?”

“Medina  **_wasn’t_ ** suicidal,” Brian called back to him.

“What then, are you trying to say you think someone on the inside did Medina in?” When Brian didn’t respond or look back at him, Nick quickened his pace to catch up. “Jesus, Brian, do you even realize how crazy that sounds? That’s the kind of talk that will get you in trouble, not some bullshit internal investigation.”

Sighing mostly in frustration but also from being considerably tired, Brian reached up to run a hand through his short kempt hair. “I don’t know what I’m trying to say, but what I do know...is that it doesn’t sit right with me.”

“You know what you need?” Nick questioned with a smirk when Brian glanced in his direction. “A night out with some good ol’ fashion fun a la Nick.”

Brian rolled his eyes and turned away from his partner once again. “That’s a hard pass.”

“C’mon!” Nick motioned with his hands even though Brian was facing away from him. “You need to learn to live a little again. Your wife and son are out of town. That practically makes you a temporary bachelor. Life doesn’t have to be all about work. Hell, we could even go to that joint that’s smack dab in the middle of our case.”

“What would **_you_** know about Club Kaos?” Brian snorted but quickly paused, retracting his quip. “Never mind. I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Nick’s smirk returned with a proudness that radiated from him. “I’m not known as a tits and ass man for nothing and let me tell you something about Club Kaos...finest tits and ass you’ll find in the country,” he claimed before draping an arm casually over his partner’s shoulders. “So? What do you say? You and me tonight, Club Kaos. Bet I could call in a favor and even swing us one of those private rooms if you don’t feel like socializing. Get you a little action behind the curtains. What Leighanne don’t know won’t hurt her.”

Brian distractedly shrugged Nick’s arm from around his shoulders as he side-stepped around him and took quick strides towards a spot off to their right. He removed the sunglasses from his face as he moved, eyes squinting the closer he got to what it was that had caught his attention because of a faint gleam of light reflecting against metal. Ignoring the sound of Nick’s footsteps drawing near, Brian crouched low to the ground with stiffly focused attention, although he had enough mind in him to hold a hand up to warn Nick to be careful as he got close. A moment later when Nick stooped low beside him, Brian motioned towards the blood-stained bullet he was focused on.

“A bullet,” Nick spoke the obvious. “What are the chances…”

“Luca was given the coordinates to come here on the night he was killed,” Brian spoke in response. He looked around them again, repeating himself. “On the night he was  **_killed_ ** .”

“That’s a known fact,” Nick agreed. “But, how are we to know if he ever even made it here? It’s entirely possible he was taken out before he arrived.”

Brian frowned at the vague theory. “Perhaps,” he mumbled and slowly rose to his feet, turning in a slow complete circle with his gaze carefully scrutinizing the concrete ground around them. And then he saw it, a few yards away to the right of where the bullet came to rest on the pavement; a large dark crimson, almost black patch staining the ground that was a stark contrast against the gray of the pavement.

Nick looked up from the bullet just in time to watch as his partner hurried away from him with a clear agenda. “ **_Now_ ** what are you doing?”

“Quick, Nick,” Brian called after him when he came to a stop. “Come here.”

It didn’t take long for Nick to reach Brian’s side and when he did, he too, caught sight of what had grabbed hold of the other man’s attention. “Huh…”

Brian’s hands came to rest on his hips with consideration as he stared down at the dried pool of blood marking the pavement. “You might want to start rethinking your theory, Nicky,” he mentioned with a quick glance in Nick’s direction.

Nick’s forehead creased with a frown. “It was just a thought out loud,” he muttered.

“And  **_that_ ** is blood,” Brian countered.

“I’m not arguing,” Nick told him.

Glancing back in the direction of where the bullet lay, Brian blindly reached out to grab hold of Nick’s arm and tugged. “Get down on your knees.”

Nick choked on a breath of surprise as he stumbled where he stood. “Dude, I don’t swing that way. Wouldn’t have pegged you as someone who did either.”

Brian sharply met Nick’s stare with a scowl. “Just trust me,” he told him.

Nick rolled his eyes as Brian forced him to kneel on the ground. “And people think that  **_I’m_ ** the freak,” he grunted. He was about release another quip when we felt the cold metal tip of Brian’s gun pressing against his temple and his eyes widened. “What the  **_fuck_ ** , Brian?!”

Brian ignored his partner’s sudden show of panic and kept the gun in place. “You and Luca are roughly the same height.”

Nick squirmed where he knelt. “But he’s dead and I’m not. I’d like to keep it that way.”

“We just found our murder scene, Nicky boy,” Brian grinned to himself as he withdrew his gun and returned it to the holster on his hip. Patting Nick’s shoulder, he turned around to move back in the direction of the car, cellphone pressed to his ear. “This is Detective Brian Littrell, requesting backup and CSI for the scene of an active murder investigation. Case name Giacomo.”


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Chapter contains explicit sexual content.***

**Chapter 5**

It is said that the first forty-eight hours of any investigation are the most critical. That’s because within that first two day time period following a crime, memories of any potential witnesses are freshest, witnesses haven’t had a chance to disappear, and there’s less of a chance of evidence being compromised. Without securing a solid lead during those immediate forty eight hours, it was generally understood by most detectives, seasoned and rookies alike, that the outlook for solving a crime decreased so dramatically, it was the quintessential reason all cold cases became cold.

Five days. It had been five days since the body of Luca Matteo Giacomo had washed ashore on the Lower East Side Bay Area and as Brian stood in front of a large white board in one of the briefing rooms at the precinct in contemplation of the minimal evidence they had gathered so far, he felt the weight of the pressure that came with knowing they had all but gotten nowhere in the case. Being a determined perfectionist, stubborn, and occasionally hard-headed, Brian had hoped they would have been able to secure a little more progress within that critical time period of the first two days.

Yet, their only credible witness so far was Lucia Giacomo, the widow of their victim. Well, Brian couldn’t truly say Lucia was their only witness, but she had been the only one able to provide them with any information that could be considered remotely pertinent to her husband’s case and even then, some of the other detectives working the case under Brian’s supervision questioned the relevance of what she had said. Past associates who were willing to claim they knew the victim had either not enough to say with absolute certainty or were unwilling to say they knew anything at all. That was including past employment supervisors and the Giacomos’ current landlord, although the latter seemed a little less willing to talk to law enforcement than the others for more reasons than one.

A call upstate to the penitentiary where Matteo Giacomo, father of the victim, was serving a life sentence proved useless at securing information. Not even Luca’s father had had a positive thing to say in regards to his own son, instead referring to him as the bastard son who was the spawn of Satan in heels. The only thing that stood out was that Matteo seemed overly surprised his son had lasted in life as long as he had, considering, as Matteo put it, “That stupid sonofabitch never had enough brains in him to follow in my footsteps and make me proud. He was no better than his two bit whore of a worthless mother.”

Five days and counting.

120 hours.

72 hours too many. 

Brian sighed inwardly as he lifted his arms and crossed them over his chest, narrowing his eyes at the board with scrutiny. Luca’s photo, a copy of his booking shot from when he did his six month stint, was taped to the board in the top center, along with his name and ‘ _ Deceased _ ’ written underneath. To the right of Luca’s photo, a line connected to another photo, this one of a young Caucasian male, slightly paler in complexion than his counterpart but equally as unreadable and haunting in the eyes. Beneath the photo was a name and the words ‘ _ Whereabouts Unknown’. _

Samuel Alexander Maddox.

Brian mulled the name over in his head, just as he had been doing for the majority of the day since they had confirmed the connection with their victim late that morning. It had taken a while, but combing through Luca’s phone records had finally produced the connection with the name  _ Maddox _ that Brian had been searching for. He had almost missed it, too. He had even damn near considered that maybe Nick had been right about the usage of burner phones to communicate--Nick made sure he continued to drive that point home so long as Brian continued to insist they go over and over the phone records--until finally, right before Brian was ready to toss the papers in the trash, it all just clicked. The times created a clear pattern and the numbers--there had been several, so maybe his partner wasn’t entirely wrong--lead them to a name, which popped up instantly with a fruitful record as soon as it was ran through the system.

They may have been able to find a name, a face to go with the name, and a criminal record that was only a little more colorful than their victim’s, but one major problem imposed upon their investigation...Samuel Maddox was nowhere to be found.

Brian was disappointed that they were able to derive very little about the man from their preliminary run of his name through the system and so far it proved of no benefit. AJ and Howie had immediately gone out to the last known place of residence and employment for their lead, but any information helpful to the case proved evasive. An irritated landlord hellbent on collecting several months late rent from his tenant was just as interested in finding Samuel Maddox as the two detectives were, while a shady construction foreman that had previously hired him as an independent contractor all but ran at the sight of the detectives before grudgingly offering little to none in the means of praise for the missing man.

Seeing AJ and Howie return to the precinct empty handed was not what Brian had been hoping for or what any of them had been hoping for. And now, they had to wait for the results to come back from the forensics lab for the evidence submitted from the crime scene under the overpass from the day before, or as Nick had put it, “a damn stroke of dumb luck. What are the chances it’s the same bullet and blood from our vic? Don’t waste your breath.” As irritating as it was, Nick’s statement remained a nagging presence at the back of Brian’s mind and he couldn’t help but feel that he was only a few short steps away from grasping at straws.

The stress of the case was already starting to wear on him. Or…, Brian had to consider, maybe it had something to do with his frustration over the fact that his partner who used to be an invaluable asset to their team that had made the two of them some of the most respected detectives to have ever worked at the precinct was now becoming someone Brian no longer recognized, daily even, and he just couldn’t explain it. Either way, though, Brian’s head ached at the thought of everything, just as it had been for days. He was more tired than he cared to admit to.

Five days in and-

“You know what they say about watching a pot of water while waiting for it to boil?”

Brian had half a mind with his thin patience to scowl in response to the question until he tore his attention away from the board and looked beside him to find his fellow detective Howie Dorough suddenly standing in spot. His casually polite smile was enough to put a stop to whatever sarcastic response Brian may have considered in return and he nodded before returning his attention forward.

“Not much water in the pot, I’m afraid,” he noted.

“Right,” Howie agreed as he, too, focused his attention on the informational board, only it was hardly informational at that moment. “If only the leads and suspects would fall right into our hands without our effort, these damn cases would be a Hell of a lot easier to solve.” He paused before adding thoughtfully, “Although, I suppose you and I would be out of a job if that were the case.”

“Mhmm...” Brian murmured as he lifted a hand to rub at the ache in his forehead. “...If only life were that easy.”

Howie chuckled and shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks. He hesitated before speaking again. “...Any updates on Internal’s investigation into the death of that inmate?”

Brian knew that Howie could see the creases of frustration form on his face at the mention of the inmate’s death, but he didn’t rightly care as he shook his head rigidly. “They questioned me first thing this morning. Had nothing to say other than they were speaking with the officers who were on duty and are still reviewing footage from the security cams.”

“Listen, I know the process is a pain in the ass,” Howie stated, “but it’s necessary. I wouldn’t lose sleep over it though. It’s not like they can indict you for any plausible cause proving you’re guilty for playing a part in what caused the inmate’s death. Just continue doing what you’re told and it will all blow over soon.”

“I’m  **_fine_ ** ,” Brian stressed, placing particular emphasis on the ending as he turned to face Howie. When the shorter detective raised his brows in a challenging, almost amused manner towards Brian’s statement, he all but rolled his eyes and stepped around Howie to move over to the table. “Seriously, Howie. I’m fine. Maybe a little more tired than usual, but nothing I can’t handle. I’ve been pulling extra hours on this case since Nick and I were assigned to it earlier this week. It’s...I don’t know. Something about it just…”

“Here’s a little food for thought and I mean no disrespect, but...might help if Nick started pulling his weight around these parts?” Howie suggested as he watched Brian slump with exhaustion into one of the chairs at the table. “I know he’s your family, and you want to keep him in check with the captain, but everyone has noticed the difference in his attitude that’s been happening for a long time now. How long are you going to keep putting your neck out on the line for him before your career ends up right next to his on the chopping block?”

Brian leaned back in the chair and tapped his fingers rhythmically against the tabletop before drawing his attention to Howie once again. “I know Nick’s been a little off lately.”

“A little?” Howie repeated with a shallow chuckle. “My friend, I dunno what reality you’ve been living in this entire time, but there’s no little bit about it when it comes to how Nick’s been acting differently. I mean, he’s always been a huge-”

“Dick? Asshole?” Brian interrupted knowingly with a crooked grin.

Howie sighed inwardly. “I was also thinking along the lines of a huge pain in everyone’s ass.”

“You certainly don’t hold back,” Brian mustered, continuing to tap his fingers against the tabletop.

“You’ve known me how long?” Howie took claim of the chair next to the one Brian was sitting in.

“Long enough,” Brian answered.

“Yeah? Well, the Brian I used to know wouldn’t just lay down and let some selfish sonofabitch who is loco en la cabeza take advantage and walk all over him.”

“It’s Nick, okay?” Brian scowled. “Let me worry about it myself. He’s a different breed. You either like him or you don’t.”

Howie lifted a hand respectfully in defense and nodded his head in apology. “All I’m saying is I would hate to see you lose everything you’ve worked your entire career for at the hands of someone who could care less one way or the other. You can’t save everyone, least of all someone who doesn’t want to be saved.”

Brian leaned further back in the chair and rubbed his hands over his face with a barely withheld sigh that just started to pass his lips. “I appreciate your concern, Howie. You know I’ll never tell you that I don’t,” he told the detective whose stare he could feel the weight of. And as frustrated as it made it him feel, Brian was honestly thankful that Howie cared enough to politely offer his thoughts on the matter, even if Brian didn’t have it in him to admit that his friend was right and he didn’t know what to do about it. “I know Nick, okay? Better than anyone in his life. I don’t know what’s been going on with him, but I’ll figure it out and take care of it. Just...let me worry about it and let’s drop this subpar attempt at putting me through an intervention.”

“There’s no intervention,” Howie countered with a chuckle as he folded his arms atop the table. “Just expressing my concern. That’s all.”

Relaxing, Brian looked around the room, focusing his eyes only briefly on the analog clock high on the opposite wall from where they sat. Both the hour and minute hands of the clock were closing in on the seventh hour, surprising him that it had actually become as late as it was. The day had somehow managed to pass by in a blur of minutes and hours that all seemed to just blend together, leaving Brian to wonder where the time had gone and what had he managed to accomplish during all of it? Absolutely nothing.

God only knew where Nick had disappeared to. They’d parted ways after grabbing a late greasy lunch at one of Brian’s favorite food trucks at the pier, which had surprisingly been a relatively calm and pleasant experience. Nick had appeared to be in a neutral mood for once, neither rude, sarcastic, or annoying, and even was a little more eager than normal to discuss their case. Although, Brian couldn’t say he particularly trusted his partner’s almost chipper demeanor that afternoon. But Nick had been insistent that Brian just head back to the precinct while he handled some of the angles in the field for once. Not a word of communication between the two since parting ways and Brian could feel that same irritation bubbling up in him as Howie’s voice of concern nagged at the back of his mind.

And now, Brian was so exhausted he was almost seeing double.

“Earth to Brian.”

Brian blinked in surprise when he felt the shock of the sharp nudge of Howie’s shoe against his chair, his hand darting to grab hold of the edge of the table out of reflex. “ **_What?!_ ** ” he snapped unintentionally.

There wasn’t much Brian knew of outside of work matters that would cause Howie’s fiery Latino blood to rise to the surface and take over his typically calm and collected demeanor, but for a split moment he watched as a look of being perturbed flashed across the shorter detective’s dark eyes and Brian immediately averted his gaze elsewhere.

“Jesus, Brian…” Howie stated with a tight shake of his head. “You need to go home and get a good night’s rest. Start tomorrow with a fresh mind. How long has it been since you’ve actually slept in your own bed?”

Brian shrugged. “Why does it matter? I’ll have you know the couch in my office is plenty comfortable. It’s not like I have a reason to go home right now anyway with my wife and son out of town.”

Howie continued to shake his head. “Estás loco en la cabeza también.”

“Aren’t we all, though?” Brian quipped in return.

Howie opened his mouth to respond when a commotion from just outside of the briefing room caught the attention of both the detectives. Shooting a short questioning glance at Brian, they rose to their feet at the same time and started to make their way towards the door, except neither made it more than a couple of feet in the door’s direction when they both watched in dismay as AJ stumbled into the room with a seething curse and Nick stormed in after him, charging at him with a curse of his own.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Brian shouted in surprise as he wasted no time in crossing the distance to his partner so he could physically prevent him from reaching AJ again. “What the Hell, Nick?! Stop!”

Nick ignored Brian’s command as he struggled against his partner’s blocking, eyes narrowed in contempt at the other detective Howie was now doing his best to keep from charging forward as well. “Go ahead and open your mouth again!” he hissed in AJ’s direction.

AJ grunted in annoyance when Howie prevented him from taking a step forward. He smirked at Nick. “Oh, yeah...I’m so fucking scared of you, you fucking twat waffle.”

“It’s vagina pastry, you fucking dumbass!” Nick snapped.

For a brief moment, the argument appeared to stop as AJ blinked with surprise and focused on Howie. “Did he just...insult himself?”

“Aje-” Howie started to warn.

The laughter escaped AJ’s mouth openly from deep in his throat. Howie tried to nudge him backwards at the sound, but AJ paid him no attention. “For fuck’s sake, Carter! No wonder your wife divorced your stupid ass!”

Brian didn’t realize he had hit the wall until he felt the explosion of pain spread throughout the back of his head. Dark spots swam in front of his eyes after the initial shock of the impact and he was able to discern the fact that Nick had so quickly turned him and shoved him back against the wall before charging at AJ. Brian clenched his eyes shut at the sound of Howie’s shouting as his knees wobbled and his vision spun around him.

“Nick, stop…” he mumbled, but the sound of his voice was lost to the commotion.

“What the  **_hell_ ** is going on in here?!”

As quickly as it had started, the commotion stopped and a heavy silence draped over the room. Brian pried his eyes open to see their captain standing in the doorway with eyes bulging in disbelief while Howie stood at the table’s side and Nick had AJ pinned against the wall. Even Nick appeared taken aback by the captain’s unexpected appearance, as neither he or AJ even inhaled a breath.

“Well?!” Captain Halverson demanded, his voice nearly cracking under the pressure of his anger. “Somebody better start speaking up with an explanation before I put all of you on administrative leave without pay!”

“Aw, Cap, c’mon!” Nick finally spoke up with a grin as he yanked AJ away from the wall and brought him into what he portrayed to be a coltish chokehold. “We’re just horsing around. Having a little fun. No harm, no foul.”

“McLean?” Captain Halverson turned his trenchant stare upon the other detective who hadn’t uttered a sound since the captain appeared.

AJ stiffly removed Nick’s arm from around his neck and rolled his shoulders. “Boys will be boys, right?”

Captain Halverson continued to look between the four of them for several moments in obvious distrust of the explanation provided, but lacking the patience to actually deal with it at that moment, he squared his shoulders. “Go home! All of you! Do I make myself clear?”

Nick saluted the captain. “Crystal, sir.”

Once the captain had stormed off, AJ shoved Nick away from him. “You stay the Hell away from me,” he snarled as Howie started moving him towards the doorway. “You hear me, Carter?”

“Whatever, princess,” Nick snorted. “I’d watch my back if I were you.”

“ **_Don’t_ ** ,” Howie told his partner firmly when he noticed AJ’s hands clenching into fists and the man’s mouth opened with an insulting retort. “Let it be, Aje. Go.”

They disappeared from sight after a few seconds, leaving Nick grumbling under his breath as he straightened his shirt and turned towards where Brian was hastily gathering the files he had spread out on the table. “Can you believe that asshole?”

“I’m done, Nick,” Brian muttered as he gripped the files in one hand and brushed past his partner without even a glance of consideration.

Nick was quick to follow in his wake, the scowl obvious on his face. “What the Hell is  **_that_ ** supposed to mean?”

Brian didn’t say another word until they reached the elevators, at which point he turned to face his partner with a clearly expressed look of indignation. “You’re on your own. From this point on, I’m done.”

“You already said that,” Nick said, eyes rolling. “Sounds like you’re trying to break up with me or some shit.”

Jabbing the call button for the elevator, Brian caught Nick off guard when he pushed him away from him. “I am  **_done_ ** saving your ass every time you decide to screw up. You wanna get yourself suspended or fired? Go ahead. But I am  **_done_ ** going to bat for you with the captain and the rest of this precinct. You want to continue to screw your life up and throw your career away for God knows what reason, then go ahead and do it. You’re gonna do it on your own though, Nick. You’re not gonna take me down with you. I’m  **_done_ ** wasting my time trying to help you.”

Nick’s rigid demeanor cracked fleetingly at the sound of his partner’s harsh statements and he began to frown before he just as quickly stiffened back up, eyes narrowing in defense. “What the Hell, Brian?”

“Go home, Nick,” Brian told him pointedly. “And leave me the Hell alone.”

“God, you’re becoming such a pompous asshole,” Nick said in return. “Fuck you, Brian.”

Unwilling to afford Nick the satisfaction of the response he was baiting him for, Brian stepped onto the elevator as soon as the door slid open and paid his bristling partner no further attention as it slid shut again.

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

By the time Brian directed his car off of the interstate and a short time later turned into his residential neighborhood, he had managed to calm the adrenaline that had been working its way through his system since the incident with Nick back at the precinct. Anger towards his partner’s behavior didn’t even begin to describe the multitude of things he was feeling after slamming the back door of the precinct open and making his way to his parked car. Nick didn’t bother following him either, which was smart on the other man’s part because Brian wasn’t sure he would have been able to stop himself from saying or doing something he would later come to regret. Although, saying what he had said to Nick before stepping into the elevator seemed to leave enough of a sting as it was.

Brian had a Hell of a time trying to wrap his mind around what both he and Howie had witnessed transpire between AJ and Nick in the briefing room. Nick’s behavior didn’t surprise him so much as AJ’s erratic responsive behavior did, but then to see how quickly and easily Nick appeared to snap out of it when the captain showed up was unsettling, as if it were just one big game to him.

Howie was right about the fact that the change in Nick was extensive. Maybe part of the problem had to do with the fact that Brian had spent way too long ignoring the changes occurring in his partner. Even when the changes in behavior were more subtle in the beginning, Brian had preferred to just sort of look the other way. After all, Nick had always been a little odd. And then when his marriage with Lauren fell apart in an explosive mess, Brian figured Nick was just on a fast track to an early midlife crisis. But those subtle changes had been accumulating into something bigger that Brian could no longer ignore, nor could he continue to excuse Nick’s poor choices. It was going to eventually catch up to Brian, just like Howie had warned him.

Family or not, perhaps it was time Brian let the consequences catch up to Nick, let him hit rock bottom on his own accord.

“Dad? Are you listening to me?”

Brian blinked to attention as Baylee’s voice filtered in through his thoughts and drew him back to the fact that he was in the middle of a phone conversation with his son. He frowned as he eased his car around a corner onto the familiar street his house was located on before mustering a short answer. “Yeah...yeah, I’m listening.”

Baylee’s response was hesitant when he spoke again. “Are you okay?” he asked. “You seem really distracted and exhausted...or sick. Are you sick?”

“Why does everybody keep telling me I seem exhausted?” Brian chuckled towards his son’s show of concern amidst a quiet sigh. “I’m sorry, Bub. You’re right. I’m just really tired right now.”

“You’ve been overworking yourself like always, haven’t you,” Baylee accused with a chuckle of his own.

Brian rolled his eyes as he slowed the car because Baylee knew him too well, but the last thing he wanted was to put a damper on what little bit of time Baylee had left on his camping trip with his friends by showing him cause for concern. “Stop listening to your mom,” he chided playfully.

“Okay, but, we know how you are,” Baylee continued, only to laugh out loud at one of his friends in the background. “Just take a break, okay? Whatever it is will still be waiting for you tomorrow, right?”

“When did you become so smart?” Brian mused as he brought the car to rest in an idling position in the driveway of their house. He continued to sit there, resting his eyes shut, and allowed his body to ease back into the seat. “Actually, Bub...I just pulled up to the house. I think I’m gonna call it an early night. Get some decent sleep.”

“Good, so Mom can stop worrying about you,” Baylee told him.

Brian grimaced. “Your mom has enough on her plate to be worrying about without adding me to it,” he thought out loud before prying his eyes open. Reaching forward, he killed the car’s engine and pushed the driver’s door open, maneuvering in the seat to climb out. “Stop worrying about your old man and go continue having fun with your friends. I can’t wait to hear all about it when you get home on Sunday.”

“Seriously, Dad, this trip has been epic,” Baylee claimed and Brian could only imagine the grin of exuberance on his son’s face. “You have no idea.”

Locking the car behind him, Brian traveled the path of the walkway and up the stone steps to the towering front door. “Listen, I’m just walking inside now, so I’m gonna let you go,” he said as he slipped the house key into the lock and pushed the heavy door inward. “Stay safe, Bub. Shoot me a text tomorrow.”

Sighing when Baylee quickly told him goodbye and disconnected the call to rejoin his group of friends, Brian dropped his keys onto the small stand just inside the doorway before he shut the door behind him and secured both sets of locks. Then, just as he turned to make his wave through the foyer towards the wide curving staircase, he took notice of the golden glow of light faintly bathing a portion of the darkened living room from the direction of the kitchen.

Brian frowned to himself, unable to recall having left a light on early that morning before the sun had completely rose above the horizon when he returned home long enough to grab a clean change of clothes. Though, as tired as he had been and still was, there was no telling what he did or didn’t do during the short amount of time he had allowed himself to remain there before once again making his way back to his office at the precinct.

Perking his ears for any unusual sounds, Brian inched his way along the marble granite flooring in the foyer and stepped into the living room, gaining ground on the kitchen as his hand subconsciously began to lift towards the gun he still had holstered to his hip. Halfway through the high ceiling living room, he began to detect a familiar sweet aroma permeating the air around him, causing his heart to skip a beat and flutter sporadically. Brian’s lips curled into a grin as he hastened his pace and just as he reached the threshold of the kitchen entry, his eyes lit up when they fell upon her.

“Leigh?” Brian spoke her name in a breathy whisper, watching his wife as she stood with her back to him at the kitchen sink. The loose waves of her soft platinum hair swayed against her back at the sound of his voice when she turned to face him, warm smile radiating. Brian felt the sheepishness creep into his cheeks as the tension in his body relaxed and he allowed his hand to drop away from his holstered gun.

“Welcome home, handsome,” Leighanne greeted him softly and set the glass of wine she had been holding onto the counter top.

Brian had already begun to cross the length of their expansive kitchen before Leighanne could speak another word and when he finally reached her, he pulled her petite body against his in a secure embrace. “What are you doing here?” he questioned with a grin as he pressed his face against the top of her head and inhaled the scent of her floral shampoo. “You’re supposed to be in Seattle.”

Leighanne released a sigh of contentment as she relaxed against her husband. “Surprise…” she murmured.

Unable to wipe the grin from his face, Brian pulled back just enough so he could look down at Leighanne and brought a hand up to gently brush away the stray bangs that had fallen into her eyes. “I was just talking with Baylee. Did he know you were coming home early?” he questioned, eyes locked with Leighanne’s as his thumb delicately caressed her cheek. When she shook her head ‘no’, Brian’s grin widened and he quickly brought his lips upon hers, enjoying the feeling of warmth having her against him brought. “God, I’ve missed you.”

Leighanne’s hands cupped Brian’s cheeks to part them from the kiss, but she made no effort to move further away. “It’s only been five days,” she laughed, head tilted slightly to the side.

“It always feels like a lifetime,” Brian replied, heat igniting in his cheeks. He leaned in to kiss her again, softer and shorter this time. “I hate it when you’re gone.”

“I missed you, too,” Leighanne assured him before reaching to hand him the glass of wine she had been sipping prior to his arrival. “The trip out to Hank’s firm in Seattle got postponed.”

Brian tilted the rim of the glass against his lips and swallowed a careful sip of the wine, a nice dry Sauvignon Blanc that felt good against his throat. “Postponed until when?” he inquired as he watched Leighanne prepare another glass for herself.

“...Monday,” Leighanne answered him after a slight bit of hesitation. She turned back to him quickly when he opened his mouth to protest and placed her index finger against his lips to keep him quiet. “ **_But_ ** , I promise you, it will only be for two days. I will be home early Wednesday.”

Frowning, Brian’s shoulders sank as he leaned back against the edge of the kitchen island that was behind him and swallowed another sip of the wine. “You’ve already booked your flight.”

“ **_Hank_ ** already booked my flight,” Leighanne admitted. She stepped close to Brian again and thoughtfully traced the tip of her finger across his chest, avoiding his growing frown. “And he covered the costs of switching my flight from the conference so I could come home for the weekend. Hank says hi, by the way.”

“You can tell Hank he’s not at the top of my list of favorite people at the moment,” Brian told her pointedly before quickly swallowing the rest of the wine in the glass.

“Brian Thomas…” Leighanne sighed with a slight shake of her head. “I knew you would be upset.”

“Can you blame me?” he countered as he made his way across the kitchen to the freezer and opened it up. Reaching in, he pulled out a bag of frozen peas and applied it to the spot on the back of his head that was once again beginning to ache from when Nick had slammed him against the wall. “You’ve been gone for five days already and now you’ve got a turn around time of two days before you leave again?”

Leighanne’s arms wrapped around Brian’s waist from behind a few moments later as he continued to stand in front of the open freezer, clearly enjoying the cold air. “I know it’s not ideal…” she said, embrace tightening with her face pressed to his back. “But it’s only two days. I owe Hank this favor. He’s done a lot for me. Besides...I imagine it’s hard to notice I’m gone when you’re rarely home yourself.”

Releasing a hard sigh, Brian slowly shut the freezer door. “I know, I know…” he said, turning to offer Leighanne a lopsided smile of apology. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Leighanne took notice of Brian’s grimace of discomfort as he prodded at the back of his head and turned him to get a closer look. “Are your migraines bothering you again?” she inquired, trying to pull the bag of frozen peas back, but he pulled away. “Brian-”

“If the migraine's name is Nick,” Brian attempted to joke. He shook his head. “It’s nothing, really. Nick got into it with AJ at the precinct and Howie and I got caught in the middle of it. Typical day at the office. Or I’ve gone back in time and I’m in high school all over again. Either way, I suppose it depends on the day of the week.”

“Nick is a grown-assed man,” Leighanne told him pointedly. “He needs to start acting like it.”

“Really?” Brian countered with raised brows. “Here I’ve been thinking all this time that Nick was just another kid I had to raise.”

“And that’s part of your problem,” Leighanne playfully jabbed her husband in the chest as she spoke. “I love Nick just as much as you do. He’s family. But...maybe it’s time you let him stand on his own two feet and make his own mistakes.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my wife?” Brian discarded the bag of frozen peas on the counter next to the freezer and drew Leighanne close to him again. His hands came to rest just upon the swell of her backside, holding her in place against him. “Listen...I’m fine. My head’s fine. And the last thing I want to do right now is think or talk about Nick. I would much rather enjoy the fact that my extremely hot wife is home with me again where she belongs.”

“You’re something else,” Leighanne muttered with a shake of her head before her voice cut off when Brian claimed her lips in a long drawn out kiss. She released a soft moan of enjoyment. “Should I make us dinner?” she questioned a moment later, her voice barely above a whisper.

Brian’s forehead came to rest against hers. “No...come upstairs with me.”

Leighanne offered no argument as Brian grasped her hand tightly in his and began to lead her back in the direction he had come from, the shortest route to the wide curving staircase that would lead them up to their master suite on the second floor. When they entered the spacious bedroom a short time later, Leighanne all but sighed at the well-made bed perfectly undisturbed. “Our bed hasn’t been touched the entire time I’ve been gone…”

“It’s not the same without you in it,” Brian mustered as he guided his lips to the pulse point on his wife’s neck. Suckling gently upon her sweet skin, his arms curled protectively around her from behind. “I hate the way it feels.”

“I wish you would stop sleeping in your office,” Leighanne told him, her mind drifting with each second of her husband’s touch. “It’s not healthy, Brian.”

“Neither is being away from you,” Brian opposed, nudging her towards the bed. He turned her to face him when they reached it and carefully lowered her onto her back, only to stand there and admire her. “I’m sorry…”

Leighanne relaxed against the soft padding of the down comforter, melting under the heat of Brian’s stare. Her teeth pressed against her bottom lip coyly, her own gaze sweeping over her husband’s physique with just as much adoration; it didn’t seem to matter how many years they had belonged to each other...Leighanne still pined for him just as much as she did the moment they met. And so, she extended a hand up to him in hopes of beckoning him closer once again, craving his touch and his warmth. “Come here.”

The mattress dipped beneath Brian’s weight as he climbed onto the bed and carefully scooted them upwards to the headboard until Leighanne came to rest with her head upon the mound of pillows. “I’m glad you’re home,” he told her before lowering his head to capture her lips in a kiss that left both of them breathless.

Leighanne’s arms lifted to cup her hands against Brian’s cheeks, deepening the kiss with an almost sense of urgency, and she was pleased when he reciprocated by shifting his body over hers. “Brian…”

“I love you,” Brian assured her as he allowed the kisses he placed to trail along her jawline and to the spot on her neck where he knew drove his wife crazy with even the slightest of touches. He knew the moment his lips reached the right spot by the way Leighanne released a quiet moan of delight and arched her hips into his.

“Babe…” Leighanne’s voice barely penetrated the air before she arched against him again.

Nipping tenderly at her skin, a groan of satisfaction bubbled up Brian’s throat from the shocks of pleasure that traveled the length of his spine and settled into his groin, awakening him in the way he physically craved at that moment and it didn’t take long to feel himself becoming hard with his desire. Grinding his hips downward, Brian lifted his head enough to stare into Leighanne’s eyes with a lust clouded gaze.

“Too many clothes…” he noted, mouth curling into a crooked grin.

“Then maybe we should do something about that, handsome,” Leighanne suggested with a flirtatious wink.

Brian didn’t think twice about quickly removing the multiple layers of clothing from his body, his attention remaining steadily upon his wife as she worked to do the same. Moments later with their articles of clothing littering the floor around the bed and the blankets draped over them, Brian pulled Leighanne close.

“Hey, beautiful,” he grinned again, hand dipping beneath the blankets to dance the tips of his fingers against her bare hip.

“Hey, yourself,” Leighanne whispered with a smile of her own.

“You...me...this bed. All weekend. No distractions,” Brian told her. “Just us.”

Leighanne tilted her head up to nip at his bottom lip. “Our teenage son will be home Sunday,” she reminded him.

“Tonight and tomorrow will have to suffice then,” Brian chuckled as the heat crept into his cheeks.

“I’m certain we can make do, my dear,” Leighanne asserted. She ran a hand through his tousled hair, shivering from his feather-light touches to her hip. “That is if you can tear yourself away from your work long enough.”

Brian rolled Leighanne onto her back once more and positioned himself over her. “Work can wait until Monday,” he insisted firmly, rolling his hips down against her warmth. The sound of his wife’s gasp of delight had him aching to acquire that physical connection with her that he was so desperately craving in that moment. “It’s you I care about and want. The rest of the world can kiss my ass until Monday.”

Leighanne hooked a leg over her husband’s backside, beckoning his erect length towards her opening. “Just us,” she affirmed, her voice breathy. “No distractions.”

“Just us,” Brian repeated and claimed her lips in a tender kiss as he slowly slid himself into her. He swept his tongue over Leighanne’s in a gentle caress, enjoying the sensation of having the warmth of her walls wrapped around him again before beginning a slow rhythm of thrusts that had him aching further with need.

Leighanne’s nails dragged a slow path down Brian’s back as she rolled her hips fluidly to meet each of his calculated thrusts. His intentions to take his time making love to her was something she could never deny him because she desired each tender touch and the fullness of him within her just as much as he was willing to offer himself in that way. And neither was she left disappointed when he delivered; Brian always sought to it that Leighanne was left satisfied. It only made her want to prolong the moment and let the rest of the world fall away from them.

Just the two of them existing as one in that moment in time.

Brian heard his wife gasp and moan interchangeably, not loud enough that it echoed around the room, but enough that it sent a fire of yearning blazing through his entire system. He stared down at her, watching the multitude of pleasure wash over Leighanne’s face as her body rocked with each thrust, her eyes fluttering shut with pure unadulterated enjoyment.

Feeling the growing pressure of his ache for release, a groan reflecting his own enjoyment originated from deep within Brian’s throat and slipped past his lips as he dipped his head down to place a path of delicate kisses in the valley between her ample breasts. Leighanne’s chest arched just as Brian’s mouth closed around the perked peak of one of her nipples, suckling and nipping until she was nearly writhing beneath him.

“Baby-” Leighanne whimpered sharply, her fingers coming to tangle in the hair on the back of her husband’s head. “Please-”

Brian lifted his head just long enough to turn it and bring Leighanne’s other nipple into his mouth, delivering a sharp thrust to elicit a moan of her approval. He could feel the perspiration accumulating along both of them as the heat swelled within him, his pattern of breath coming out in short pants and his thrusts speeding up just noticeably.

“Fuck...” The curse came out of Brian’s mouth as he faltered in his movements at the sensation of Leighanne clenching around his throbbing shaft and quickly brought his lips back to hers, swiping his tongue over hers in an undulating dance. “Leigh-”

“Brian,” Leighanne pleaded as she clenched around him again, digging her nails into the skin of his back. “God, baby...”

“Shit,” Brian cursed once again, his thrusting motion becoming quicker and more desperate in his search for release. He buried his face into the crook of Leighanne’s neck, nipping her skin, his breath leaving his lungs in shallow, uneven puffs. “Leigh, I need-”

Leighanne felt Brian’s body tense against her as he delivered a rough thrust that brought him into the throes of his orgasm and with the warmth of his release flooding her, Leighanne couldn’t prevent herself from crying out as well. She clenched around him, drawing the feelings of ecstasy out and squeezing his biceps with her hands so tightly, she was certain she would later see the marks where her hands had been. It wasn’t until her breathing had remotely begun to return to normal did Leighanne trust her voice to project and she began to gingerly smooth her hands down the muscles in Brian’s back. She laughed quietly when he failed to move. “Are you still with me?”

Brian’s response was muffled, but he still managed to peck at the crook of Leighanne’s neck with several kisses that were slow and lazy. It took him a few moments more before he finally raised his head to stare down at her, the corner of his mouth curling upward in a crooked grin. “You’re amazing, do you know that?”

Leighanne’s returning stare was impish. “So you always insist on flattering me.”

“Mmmm...but I speak the truth...” Brian returned. His voice was barely above a mumble and he lightly pressed a kiss to her forehead, his hips slightly rolling, length still inside her. Gradually, Brian carefully pulled out of Leighanne and eased himself onto his back, eyes resting shut as a satisfied grin formed upon his face. He held his arm out to draw Leighanne close to his side, cradling her in place with her head upon his shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Leighanne answered, turning in his embrace to brush her lips against his shoulder.

Inhaling deeply, Brian allowed himself to sink into the comfort of their plush mattress and couldn’t stop his mind from drifting as the exhaustion from before began to creep back in and he vaguely registered tightening his embrace around his wife.

“...Round two?” he murmured, although he wasn’t sure if Leighanne even answered. If she did, Brian never heard her with the way his breathing evened out slow and steady, repose taking over before he could even think to try to stop it.

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

Grimacing as the aches from the day took a significant toll on her body, it was all Lucia Giacomo had in herself to carry her weight up the stone steps of her towering apartment building. Worn out didn’t even begin to describe the way the muscles in her legs protested every step she took after having already been on her 

feet all day at the little hole-in-the-wall diner she worked at on the corner of Fifth and Weston. Lucia had watched the sun just begin to rise over the distant horizon as she unlocked the door to the diner that morning and it had long since sank from sight before she could even think about leaving to make the long walk home.

It didn’t help that the diner was nearly a three mile walk from the front door of the apartment building and the transit system of public transportation had already settled out of commission for the night. Without anyone available or rather willing to offer Lucia the ride home she could have benefited from, she’d had no choice but to walk home alone, keeping close to the very shadows that left her nervous and on edge.

It wasn’t the first time Lucia had made the journey or made it alone, though now she felt she had even more reason to worry. Luca had left her little in the means of fending for herself, which is why Lucia had found herself back to being a slave to her job barely a moment after she’d been forced to wrap her mind around the fact that Luca had been taken from her. Her wages and tips barely cut it and lacked the sufficient funds she would ultimately need to survive in the long run, but for right then, she stuck. Utterly stuck and feeling hopeless.

The thought of the oppressive circumstances she found herself in caused the anguish to well deep within Lucia’s being. Damn Luca and his ignorance, his selfishness, and his total lack of regard for what he had managed to put Lucia through. Damn him for not listening and leaving her behind. And God forgive her for still loving the man who convinced her to turn her back on her family and essentially destroying her very essensence before losing his life and leaving her lost in a suddenly unrecognizable and unforgiving world.

Clutching her purse defensively against her side, Lucia reached the top of the steps and ducked into the apartment building with a grateful sigh of relief. It was quiet inside, even for that time of night. Not that anyone ever went out of their way to hold a friendly conversation with her, except for the occasional catcalls from the building’s crude male population. As far as they were concerned, Lucia existed merely for their viewing pleasure and they had no qualms with letting her know it either. Lucia just didn’t have the patience or strength in her that night to deal with their invasive stares or to front the rumors surrounding Luca’s death that she knew had been circulating since.

Lucia just wanted to get into her apartment and escape to a dark dreamless slumber where she didn’t have to think. She just wanted to forget...or cry...or maybe both. Though she couldn’t seem to do either. And sleep had become wishful thinking. Lucia had slept very little since the day she had found out about Luca’s death, mostly because every time she closed her eyes, she found herself haunted by images of her husband’s face staring back at her with lifeless eyes. It was a never-ending cycle, a nightmare Lucia feared she would never wake up from because it was now her reality.

“¡Aye, Mamí! ¿Hace calor aquí, o eres tú?”

Feeling a surprising onslaught of frustrated tears surface, Lucia's already dark eyes darkened even further, storming with emotion as she paused halfway up the first flight of interior stairs. Her hands clenched into fists as she whipped around, immediately catching sight of the physically repulsive man who had sent the derogatory comment her way. She had seen him before, on several occasions and his appearance, pock marked face and missing teeth, made Lucia want to run in the opposite direction quickly.

Except for that night.

Lucia reached for the closest object to her--a half filled soda bottle discarded on the step she was on--and sent it sailing through the air towards the man's head. “¡Vete al demonio! ¡Tú pedazo de mierda!”

The sound of her voice echoing against the walls of the apartment building’s entryway sent enough of a shock through Lucia’s system, that she didn’t wait around long enough to listen to the man curse angrily at her in return. Her heart hammered in her chest as she hurried up the remaining two flights of stairs before she reached the safe landing of the third floor.

Silence greeted Lucia as she paused on the top stair just long enough to brush away the loose wavy clump of hair that had fallen into her face as she’d hastened her way to the third floor. The absence of pursuing footsteps behind her was assurance enough that the man from the first floor had gotten the point and that he’d chosen not to follow her. Lucia cursed under her breath and made her way down the dimly lit hallway towards the door to her apartment as she dug distractedly in her purse for her key.

Moments later after reaching her door and jiggling the key in the lock until it finally unlatched and granted her entry, Lucia ducked into her dark apartment with a sigh of relief. Not that the relief lasted long; almost immediately the weight of the cluttered apartment and the emptiness she felt inside from Luca’s absence began to close in on Lucia. And so, dropping her purse without care onto the floor just by door, she stepped away from it and began to navigate her way through the living room towards the narrow hallway that led back to the bedroom. Their bedroom. Her bedroom. A room now of foreign territory.

Lucia stopped abruptly at the entrance to the hallway when her eyes stole a glimpse of the framed photos that had been hung haphazardly upon the cracking plaster of the wall. Luca had never been one for the aesthetic purposes of displaying photos, but he had allowed Lucia the joy of indulging in the hanging of a few of her favorites. They were mostly of her and Luca, but her most treasured photo was poised proudly in the middle of it all.

For a moment, the tears of devastation resurfaced as Lucia reached to bring the framed photo down off the wall. Her father’s proud smile beamed up at her while he stood protectively behind his beloved wife and only child as the moment in time was immortalized. Tracing their outlines with the tips of her fingers, Lucia’s heart ached with longing for her parents and the weight of the realization of how foolish she had been. How could she have been so stupid?

_ “What kind of parent loves their child but will turn their back on them? You don’t need them, baby. You’ve got me. It’s us against the world.” _

Luca’s voice echoed in Lucia’s head as she gripped the frame close and shifted her eyes to one of the two of them together on the wall. Happy. They looked happy, at least on the outside, but happiness was nothing more than perspective.

“Pinche pendejo,” she muttered before swiping her hand out angrily to send the framed photo crashing to the floor. The glass shattered upon impact on the hardwood, to which she stared down at it in disdain. Lucia shook her head, muttering another curse towards her deceased husband, and reached into the back pocket of her food and grease-stained jeans to grab her cellphone.

_ ‘You’ve already lost everything. What else do you have to lose?’  _ Lucia thought to herself when her thumb came to hover in a moment of hesitation over the contact on the screen for Detective Littrell. She’d felt utterly ridiculous asking for his help for her own selfish reasons when she knew his job was to figure out the exact details of what had happened to her murdered husband, but the detective’s concern and willingness to help her felt genuine enough that Lucia couldn’t seem to erase it from her mind. It’s not like she had anything else or anyone else to turn to now.

Connecting the call, Lucia brought the phone up to her ear and stepped over the broken glass on the hardwood floor before continuing on her way down the hall towards the bedroom. The call was picked up by voicemail after several rings and although she felt the pang of disappointment, Lucia did take some comfort in the sound of the detective’s familiar voice.

“...Um...Detective Littrell, this is...this is Lucia Giacomo,” Lucia spoke nervously after the voicemail greeting had ended. She stepped into the darkened bedroom and paused just inside the doorway. “I’m so sorry for calling this late. I know...well, I’m sure you’re probably sleeping. God, I am such an idiot. You said you would try to help me locate my parents when we spoke at Luca’s service and...will you? I would like to speak with you in person about my parents, Tomás and Renata Alvarez, when, um...when you have a chance. If...if that’s okay. I’m sorry…I don’t know where else to turn right now…”

Lucia let her voice trail into silence at the end and disconnected the call without so much as a proper goodbye as she let her arm fall to her side. She almost regretted making the call as soon as she began to speak, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it now and she couldn’t blame the detective if he ultimately chose to deny her of her request. It wasn’t the detective’s job to play the part of family unifier.

She shouldn’t have called him.

The thought didn’t have a chance to cross her mind further when Lucia suddenly felt a pair of large arms roughly wrap around her from behind and lift her off her feet, causing a scream of surprise to tear from her throat. She immediately thrashed her body in an attempt to break free, sharply biting the hand out of instinct that covered her mouth.

“You fucking bitch!”

Lucia hit the floor hard when she was released, her heart skipping a beat at the sound of her assailant’s voice. But the shock lasted only a moment before she scrambled to her feet in an attempt to dart down the hallway. Footsteps pounded against the hardwood flooring, her assailant wasting no time in quickly pursuing her, despite her effort to get away.

“Lucia...Lucia...Lucia…” her assailant taunted with a sadistic chuckle and a twisted grin.

“Help! Somebody help me!” Lucia screamed, stumbling over the clutter on the living room floor in her attempt to reach the front door and escape the apartment. Her hand had just grasped the door knob and started to turn it when she felt herself yanked backwards and thrown to the floor as her assailant climbed on top of her and pinned her down with his hand covering her mouth in such a way that she couldn’t bite him this time. Lucia’s tear-glistened eyes widened in utter fear as she released a muffled scream, struggling under her assailant’s hold. 

“Shut up!” he hissed down at her, his other hand colliding with the side of her face with a loud slap. “Shut the fuck up!”

Lucia released another muffled cry, her eyes darting back and forth between the now barely cracked open front door and her assailant. His wicked grin caused her blood to run cold through her veins, tears slowly beginning to slip out of her eyes as he leaned down closer to her.

“That’s right, you stupid bitch,” he told her. “You keep your dirty whore mouth shut, and I won’t kill you just yet.”

A brief pain spread through Lucia’s neck as something sharp pierced her skin, but her awareness quickly began to fade nearly as soon as she felt the prick of the needle and the last thing she saw was the rogue smirk of her worst nightmare before everything faded to black. 


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_ “Keep digging the way you are and it’ll catch up to you.” _

_ Brian’s eyes narrowed in frustration at the sound of inmate Eddie Medina’s voice taunting him from across the table in the interrogation room. Glancing down at the time reflected on his watch, he exhaled a sigh through his nose and shook his head before returning his attention to the irritated inmate who appeared just as impatient as he. _

_ “I’m trying to help you,” he attempted to reason and it was all Brian could do not to give into the sudden urge to yell at the man whose mouth slowly curved upward into a smirk at his expense. “And all you are doing is sitting here wasting my time. If you don’t want my help, Eddie, then what am I even doing here in the first place?” _

_ Eddie leaned forward against the table, despite the shackles keeping him securely in place, and tilt his head to the side. “You’re an arrogant and ignorant fool, thinking you have the power to save everyone,” he told him firmly, his dark as coal eyes locking with Brian’s. “But you’re getting yourself in way over your head. You’re nothing more than a sitting duck with a target on your back.” _

_ Brian nodded slowly, his reserve of patience evaporating. He closed his eyes and inhaled a slow deep breath before pushing his chair back and rising to his feet. “Clearly you don’t want my help,” he dismissed. “There’s nothing more that needs said.” _

_ “Right,” Eddie chuckled with a demeanor that showed no signs of wavering. “Go ahead, Detective. Keep doing what you’re doing. Keep your friends close but your enemies even closer. I’d watch my fucking back if I were you.” _

_ “We’re done here,” Brian said, his tone just as dismissive as before as he gathered his phone and notepad from the table. Barely affording a parting glance in the inmate’s direction, he hastily placed the items into his pocket and turned from the table to head towards the door to leave the interrogation room. “Where you’re being sent, you are going to realize it’s not the streets that are unforgiving, Eddie.” _

_ “At least I’m not the one walking out of here today with a man’s blood on my hands.” _

_ Brian felt a chill run down his spine at the sound of the words spoken just as he reached the door. Frowning to himself, he paused with his hand gripping the door handle and started to turn back to the inmate in question, only he stumbled backwards into the door in shock when he turned to find Inmate Eddie Medina hanging in the middle of the room from the air vent overhead with a noose made out of strips from bed linens wrapped around his neck. Unable to make sense of the situation, it took a moment for Brian to break free from the hold of his shock as he banged his hand against the door to grab the attention of the officers who were waiting outside the room and lurched forward in an attempt to reach the clearly deceased inmate whose lifeless eyes sent a panic through Brian’s body. _

_ Then, just as quickly as Brian moved to take a step forward, he felt the sudden tightening of fabric—bed linens made into the shape of a noose—closing around his neck. His eyes widened in terror and his hands immediately shot up to his neck as he attempted to shout for the officers outside of the room to help him, except his voice never left his throat with the way the noose quickly tightened enough to cut off his ability to breathe. _

_ Brian frantically reached behind himself in a desperate attempt to grab the door handle, but the tips of his fingers barely grazed the cold metal of the handle before he felt himself lifted off the floor. His lungs burned in his chest with a desperate need for oxygen and as he started to become lightheaded, Brian took notice of his partner Nick standing off to his left, holding the other end of the noose- _

Awaking with a startled gasp for air as he shot upright in bed, Brian’s hands immediately began to claw at his throat before his mind, still cloudy with sleep, was even able to register his surroundings. His heart hammered wildly in his chest as he struggled to catch his breath, only a moment later to tear the sheet and down comforter away from his body and sit rigidly with his legs draped over the edge of the bed once his brain had managed to sufficiently catch up to reality.

Brian’s chest rose rapidly with each breath he sucked into his lungs and though his body gradually relaxed and his vision focused on the familiarity of the master suite, he couldn’t shake off the vivid imagery of the nightmare still playing in his mind. Even the feel of the noose around his neck continued to linger, causing the breath he was still struggling with to catch in his throat. As he cleared it in an effort to ease the feeling, Brian’s back quaked with the onslaught of a coughing fit that had him gripping the edge of the bed to keep his balance while he rubbed the front of his neck with his other hand.

“...Babe?” Leighanne’s soft voice grabbed ahold of Brian’s attention as the bed shifted behind him before he felt the warmth of her hand coming to rest upon his bicep. There was a distinct note of concern in her tone when she spoke again barely a moment later. “Brian, you’re shaking...”

Releasing a shallow uneven breath, Brian’s shoulders sunk and he swallowed thickly, lifting a hand to rest it upon hers as he clenched his eyes shut for a brief period. “I’m sorry. I’m fine,” he mustered with a voice that betrayed him. He squeezed Leighanne’s hand to convince them both that what he said was true to fact and willed his voice to project evenly. “It was, um...it was just a dream. Took me a second to wake up from it. That’s all.”

Leighanne nestled close to Brian’s back and pressed a tender kiss to his bare shoulder. “It had to of been some dream,” she noted, unconvinced by his dismissal. Her hand smoothed around Brian’s frontside to rest upon his chest just over his heart. “Your heart is racing. It must have been bad.”

“Something like that,” Brian murmured as the imagery from the nightmare flashed through his mind once again and clearing his throat to keep the feeling of the tightened noose a fleeting memory, he slowly turned on the edge of the bed to face his wife. Brian offered her a subtle tired smile. “I’m sorry for waking you.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Leighanne told him. She brought a hand up to cup against his cheek. “It’s your well-being I’m concerned about. You were restless all night.”

Brian fought the frown wanting to surface. “I guess everything on my mind is catching up to me,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her lightly. “I’m fine, really.”

“One could surmise otherwise based on the way you kept talking in your sleep.” Leighanne gently ran her fingers through his disheveled hair, her eyes searching his by the faint light seeping in through the expansive picturesque window opposite of them across the master suite. “...I know you don’t want to talk about it, whatever it is, and I’m not going to try to force you to. I just...wish you wouldn’t close up the way you do.”

“You know I can’t talk about it right now,” Brian told her, breaking his gaze from Leighanne’s. Swallowing a sigh, he turned from her again and started to move to rise from the bed, but he had barely moved an inch before he felt himself being tugged back down onto the padding of the mattress. Allowing himself to settle while silently willing the tension in his body to flee, Brian tilted his head to the side to glance at his wife and extended an arm out to her to draw her close to his side. “Stop worrying about me, okay? I’ll be fine.”

“I trust you,” Leighanne reiterated as she brought her head to rest upon her husband’s chest. The beating of his heart had returned to an even and calm rhythm that eased whatever uncertainty continued to linger despite his assurance that it wasn’t of necessity to question his well-being. Leighanne could think of a million and one questions to ask him about the things that were crowding his mind, but true to Brian’s nature, he wouldn’t open up about any of it until he was willingly ready to. So, as the silence consumed them, Leighanne opted to allow the rhythmic pattern of her husband’s heart lull her momentarily into a comfortable state of semi-awareness where she lingered on the brink of sleep.

Brian’s eyes focused upward at the high ceiling, mind wandering as he listened to the sound of each soft breath Leighanne exhaled. Finding comfort in the warmth of her body, he trailed the tips of his fingers in a feather-soft dance along her arm. “Don’t go to Seattle today. Stay here with me,” he murmured, already knowing her response before he spoke.

The corners of Leighanne’s mouth curled into a smile. “I  **_have_ ** to go,” she told him. Beneath the blankets, she hooked her leg over his, pressing a kiss to his chest. “Wait for me. I will be back before you know it.”

“You don’t  **_have_ ** to do anything. The world will not stop turning,” Brian countered with a stubborn playful quality to his tone.

“My career says otherwise,” Leighanne countered in return. She dragged her foot along his calf in a slow thoughtful manner. “I would hate for you to be known as the man who ended the world because he couldn’t find it in himself to let his wife out of their bed long enough to do her job.”

Brian released a hard sigh through his nose and shrugged. “It’s a sacrifice of my reputation that I am willing to make.”

Rolling her eyes, Leighanne lightly smacked her husband’s chest. “You have a horrible sense of humor, Mr. Littrell.”

“Who said I was joking?” Brian mumbled, smirking to himself.

Leighanne lifted her head, turning it to catch his gaze with her own. “There’s never enough time, is there…”

Brian’s eyes met hers and for a moment after, he didn’t speak as he admired her gorgeous features. Then, he tightened his arm around her, causing her to settle again with her head upon his chest. “Life is unforgivable in that way.” 

“I’m afraid it is,” Leighanne agreed, using the tip of her index finger to trace delicate patterns upon his skin. “But,” she continued without hesitation as she smiled. Her hand slowly dipped beneath the blankets and smoothed down his toned abdomen. “We have here and now...”

“Hmmm,” Brian hummed in agreement. Soothed by his wife’s attention, he felt secure enough to permit his eyes to flutter shut without the fear of his mind being plagued by the images from his nightmare. Inhaling a slow, steady breath, Brian welcomed the sparks of sensation that awoke in him when Leighanne’s fingers teased the hem of his boxer briefs. “I like here and now.”

“I’m glad you approve,” Leighanne coyly told him just as she slipped her hand deliberately slow into his boxer briefs and found him already partially erect. She wrapped her hand around his thick shaft and gave it a tender stroke, turning her head to press a kiss to his chest. “The least I can do as your loyal and adoring wife is give you a proper goodbye.”

“You forgot ‘super hot’ in your description,” Brian barely mustered, fighting the groan of enjoyment that was already trying to make its way up his throat. “Super hot, multi-talented, best damn lawyer around, great with her hands-”

Continuing to slowly stroke her husband’s length, Leighanne listened to the way he rambled distractedly for a moment before his voice fell into an oblivious silence as he focused on enjoying the attention she delivered to him. Leighanne lifted her head to catch sight of the way the corners of Brian’s mouth curled upward in a grin, his posture relaxed. “Something for you to think about while I’m gone,” she told him as her thumb brushed over his tip, eliciting a barely heard gasp of pleasure from his lips.

“Best thing to think about while I’m missing you,” Brian all but groaned his approval. It was difficult for him to fight the urge to raise his hips off the mattress and press into his wife’s willing hand with the way her fingers flexed around the thickness of his shaft. But with the rolling waves of pleasure that were beginning to accumulate in his lower half, any remaining traces of the nightmare fled from Brian’s mind and it was almost as if he could feel himself sinking down into the padding of the mattress. A sigh of pleasure left Brian’s lungs as he lifted his hands to place them comfortably beneath his head. “Mmmm…”

Leighanne fluttered her lips against Brian’s chest, nipping tenderly to express her desire. “Shhh...let me take care of you.”

Brian grunted quietly with disappointment when Leighanne’s hand stilled against his base, though before he could voice his objection to her pause in activity, he felt the bed moving beneath them as his wife began to shift carefully out of sight under the layers of blankets covering them. Her lips continued to pepper adoring kisses against his skin as she sunk lower, only to settle herself between his legs a short moment later. The breath caught in Brian’s chest as Leighanne carefully tugged his boxer briefs down just enough to unrestrict his now aching erection and she blew a warm breath against his tip. “God, Leigh…”

Biting down on his bottom lip, it was all Brian could do to keep himself from groaning loudly at the sensation of Leighanne’s warm mouth closing around him, her fingers circling his base as she took his length in. He brought a hand down beneath the blankets to find her and tangled his fingers within the softness of her golden curls. Leighanne’s name became a breathy whisper flowing from his lips with need as the smoothness of her mouth moved up the length of his shaft, stopping only to swirl her tongue against the tip of his head before taking him in once again.

“Mom? Dad? You guys awake?”

Brian didn’t register the sound of his teenaged son’s voice until the solid double French doors to the master suite began to open inward. Jolting in surprise just as quickly as Leighanne’s mouth pulled off of him and she emerged from beneath the blankets with a flustered expression, Brian sharply sat upright with a grimace of discomfort.

“Wait, Bay, don’t come in!” Brian called out to him hastily, his voice cracking in betrayal on the last syllable. Scrambling to make sure the blankets were adequately covering his lower half, he avoided Leighanne’s smirk of amusement and kept his eyes glued to the doorway as the doors halted in movement. “Your mom and I are getting dressed.”

“He wasn’t born yesterday, babe,” Leighanne sighed quietly beside him, her tone making it clear just how amused she really was at that moment.

“In the dark?” Baylee questioned knowingly with a suspicious chuckle through the crack in the door. Brian could register the humor in his son’s voice and it caused the heat to ignite in his cheeks. And then when Baylee chuckled just as knowingly, it made Brian cringe. “I’m not stupid, Dad.”

Brian opened his mouth to respond, but Leighanne quickly covered it with her hand, attention focused across the room on the French doors. “What do you need, Baylee?” she called out to their son sweetly.

The amusement was still clearly evident in his voice when Baylee responded after a moment of hesitation. “I’m making breakfast. Um...thought we could, y’know...eat together before you guys leave.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Leighanne answered him, expressing her smile through her voice. “Your dad and I will be down shortly.”

Brian waited until the sound of Baylee’s retreating footsteps had faded down the hallway before he fell back against the pillows with a hard sigh of disappointment and dug the palms of his hands against his eyes. “ **_Why_ ** is our son up so early?” he grumbled.

“I’m sorry, love,” Leighanne softly laughed as she leaned down to press an affectionate kiss to her husband’s temple. “I’ll go downstairs and help him while you go take a shower.”

“A cold shower,” Brian grumbled again when the bed shifted as Leighanne climbed out and rose to her feet. Pulling his hands away from his eyes, Brian watched as Leighanne ducked into their luxury-sized walk in closet to retrieve her silken bathrobe and then, just like that, she was gone from the master suite before he could formulate any words to try to stop her.

Carefully, Brian eased himself up onto the edge of the bed, assuring his boxer briefs were once again concealing him before he tossed the blankets away and rose to his feet. He wasted no time trudging across the floor and made his way into the bathroom, welcoming the feel of the cold tiles against the bottoms of his feet before gaining ground on the shower to turn it on. It wasn’t long before steam began to accumulate within the expansive shower stall and filter out into the bathroom. Having turned the water on as hot as he knew his body would be able to tolerate, Brian discarded his boxer briefs and stepped inside, lightly tugging the intricately made glass door shut behind him.

Brian stood under the fervent spray of water, head bowed to focus on the warmth cascading over his body. It felt good, more than good even, and was a tempting thought to stand there until the water ran cold, if not to just shy away from the world for a few extra moments of solitude and avoid his duties. Of course, Brian knew hiding for any extended period of time was only wishful thinking—someone would eventually come calling for him...they always did.

_ “I’d watch my fucking back if I were you.” _

Jumping as the voice echoed unexpectedly through his mind, Brian’s hand smacked against the shower wall in an attempt to keep his balance. He lifted his head upright and snapped his eyes open, blinking rapidly as the water filtered uncomfortably into his eyes and blurred his vision. Almost in a subconscious reflexive manner, Brian lifted his other hand to rub at his throat and as the voice continued to repeat itself, quieter each time, Brian quickly washed up and then hastily shut the water off.

Dried off and fully dressed minutes later, Brian made his way downstairs to where both Baylee and Leighanne had convened in the kitchen, one of his wife’s most treasured rooms in the entire house. With how big it was, Brian had always joked that they would be better off hiring a chef and kitchen staff, but Leighanne never seemed to share the same humor about it that her husband did. On the contrary, she insisted that a family who cooked together, ate together. Brian admired her for it too.

He was barely halfway down the staircase when the smell of bacon sizzling on the skillet invaded his senses and caused his stomach to grumble so intensely, it reminded him that he had been neglecting proper eating habits over the past week. Leighanne suspected that he hadn’t been taking care of himself like he should, one of his worst habits when he became involved with such depth in his work and had done more than enough during their previous two days together assuring that Brian ate enough and got the rest he needed, among other things, of course.

In that moment as he drew closer to the kitchen--the scents of eggs, pancakes, and coffee also permeated the air--Brian appreciated the fact that Baylee had adopted the same love for cooking that his parents shared. He could hear his teenaged son talking quietly with Leighanne and when he entered the kitchen a moment later, he took notice of them both within close vicinity of each other. Baylee stood at the stove with his back to his mother as he tended to the bacon on the skillet, while Leighanne sat on a stool at the kitchen island nursing a cup of coffee. They both glanced in Brian’s direction as he entered; Baylee snickered to himself and Leighanne smiled warmly.

“Smells great in here, Bub,” Brian mentioned to his son as Leighanne stood from the stool and moved to prepare him a cup of coffee. He took it from her when she offered it, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before swallowing a small sip as she reached up to straighten his shirt collar. “S’good. Thanks.”

Baylee looked back over his shoulder at his father. “Hope you’re hungry.”

“Starving,” Brian admitted. He slid onto the stool next to Leighanne’s at the island counter and continued to sip his coffee. “You’re up awfully early.”

“No different than every morning this summer,” Baylee answered him as he turned to his parents and set three plates down on the counter. He lifted a brow when Brian stared back at him blankly, as if he hadn’t the slightest clue what his son was talking about. “Seriously, Dad?” the teen continued with a chuckle. “I’ve been getting up early every morning this summer to go running. Y’know, training for the upcoming sports seasons at school? Where have you been?”

Brian glanced at Leighanne for confirmation and when she nodded that their son was speaking honestly, he frowned to himself. Setting the cup of coffee on the counter, Brian still kept it in a one-handed grip and watched as the teen began to load the plates with the assortment of breakfast food items. “Alone?” he clarified.

Baylee met his father’s stare with a vague incredulous one of his own and placed a plate in front of him before answering. “Sometimes Dawson goes with me, but yeah, I mostly go alone,” he explained, briefly shifting his attention to his mother in confusion. “You know this.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m sorry,” Brian mustered with a tight shake of his head. His eyes remained sternly fixated on the teen. “Listen...no more going alone. In fact, just...no more going at all.”

“You’re joking, right?” Baylee all but laughed, hand poised over the pile of bacon on his own plate. When it became clear his father's expression wasn't about to crack, Baylee pressed the palms of his hands against the counter top to balance his weight in actual annoyance. "That's ridiculous."

"I'm serious, Baylee," Brian reiterated. It was all he had within him not to look to his right and catch Leighanne's questioning stare, not that the increasing irritation from his teenage son was making things any easier on him in that moment. "Keep arguing with me and I will start driving you around and to school and back myself when the school year begins."

"How are you going to do that when you're barely around lately as it is?" Baylee flung at him in return, though he appeared to regret his choice of words as soon as he had spoken them. "I'm sorry, okay? But you spend more time away at the precinct than you do here. And now you're acting weird about something I've been doing all summer long. I don't get it-"

"Bay..." Leighanne warned.

Brian shook his head again, relenting to his son's accusation. "No, he's right," he offered, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of Baylee's stare. "I've been absent a lot this summer. I've neglected you guys. Work has been... Nevermind. The point is that Baylee is right. I've been absent and I'm sorry."

Baylee finally looked away from him and instead fixated his storming eyes on the marble counter top as Leighanne's hand came to rest encouragingly upon Brian's shoulder. She smiled softly at both of them, recognizing the tension that was still lingering in the air.

"We've all been busy this summer," she told them. "But, that doesn't mean we can't salvage what time there is left before the school year starts and make the most of it together, as a family. You still have three weeks left of summer vacation, Bay. When I get back from this trip, we'll sit down and plan something. I think we could all benefit from going away somewhere together for a few days, just the three of us."

Brian looked at his wife when she nudged him lightly with her foot, winking at him to calm whatever remained of his nerves and had him on edge. Exhaling a strained sigh, he mustered a faint smile and nodded. "Yeah, we can work something out."

Baylee wasn't so easily convinced. "You never take a break in the middle of a case," he told him in disbelief.

"First time for everything, huh?" Brian swallowed a hasty sip of his coffee and focused on Baylee again, hoping to establish a truce with his son. "I'm sure Uncle Nick can manage just fine without me around for a week and if not...well, there's always AJ and Howie."

"Nick doesn't need you to babysit him, dear," Leighanne murmured in amusement in her husband's ear.

"You'd be surprised," Brian returned with a sarcastic chuckle of his own. "I tell you what, Bub..." he continued. "Since your mom is going out of town today, I'll call it an early night at the office and you and I can spend the evening shooting some hoops. Order in whatever you want. Maybe even catch some re-runs."

"I can't," Baylee told him hastily, and just like that, his annoyance returned. "I have to go to Sophie's house. Her parents are hosting an end of summer get together. You're supposed to be there, too." Brian blinked in surprise at the mention of his son's girlfriend, but before he had a chance to respond, Baylee's voice cut him off. "You forgot. Of course. Mom’s going out of town and  **_you_ ** forgot. Great."

"What? No, I didn't forget," Brian quickly tried to save face, though it was instantly apparent the attempt was lost upon his favor. "Dinner, at Sophie's. I'll be there."

Baylee grunted and pushed his untouched plate of breakfast away from him. "Whatever. It's not a big deal. I'm going to take a shower."

"Bay-" Brian called after him, only to have his voice left unanswered when the teen stormed out of the kitchen with footsteps that could be heard stomping up the staircase moments later. With brows that furled in confusion, Brian shifted his attention to Leighanne. “That just escalated unexpectedly.”

Leighanne pressed a kiss to her husband’s cheek before sliding off her stool and moving around to the other side of the island counter where she began to clean the mess that had been made. “He’s frustrated,” she told him and then suggested, “Maybe try not forgetting to go to Sophie’s house this evening?”

Brian’s frown deepened. “I didn’t forget-” He paused when Leighanne looked at him pointedly across the counter with her brows raised and gradually relented with his guilt. "Alright, alright..." he sighed, hands raised slightly in defeat. "So, maybe I did forget about going with Baylee to Sophie's tonight. It wasn't intentional though."

"It never is," Leighanne replied. "That's why I'm saying try to not forget tonight when it's time to go, because I won't be here to remind you."

“See? Another reason why you shouldn’t go to Seattle.” Brian rose from the stool and moved to join Leighanne on the other side of the counter. He stood close behind her, hands on her hips.

“Because of your horrible memory?” Leighanne clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth in amused thought. "I don't think Hank will understand."

"Maybe not, but you're not married to Hank," Brian grumbled jokingly when his phone began to ring loudly in his pocket. Muttering his annoyance under his breath, he reached in to retrieve it and frowned at the sight of what was displayed on the caller-id. A hard sigh of disappointment passed his lips. "It's the precinct."

"Duty calls," Leighanne smiled over her shoulder at him with a wink.

Brian held the still ringing phone in his hand with hesitation, his eyes locking with Leighanne's. "Duty can wait-"

Leighanne turned to face him, lifting up to press a kiss to his lips. "Brian Thomas..." her voice trailed in warning.

Just as soon as the ringing stopped, it started up once again and this time, Brian knew he couldn't ignore it when he recognized the captain's name and number on the caller id. Willing his annoyance to remain at bay, Brian stole a parting kiss from his wife and brought the phone up to his ear as he turned to leave the kitchen. "Morning, Captain..."

  
  


◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

  
  


When Nick stepped off the elevator as it arrived at his department’s floor at the precinct, it was truthfully the last place in the world that he wanted to be. In fact, Nick could easily think of a million and one things he would have much rather been doing at that moment, such as revisiting the slutty little brunette who had left his bed barely an hour before. Not that she had really been his type and she hadn’t been much of a screamer, but her mouth...now that was something that would leave Nick with some satisfying memories for days to come.

His weekend had been crazy, that was for sure, and he had the hangover from Hell to prove it, too. It didn’t help that Nick’s anger had been relentless from the very moment he had watched his partner disappear from sight as the elevator door slid shut at the precinct that previous Friday evening, leaving Nick standing there speechless and more than a little annoyed. Taken aback by Brian’s uncharacteristically critical and judgmental demeanor, he hadn’t been able to formulate his thoughts fast enough to respond in the way he had intended before Brian was gone.

Nick didn’t hear a single word from his friend the entire weekend. Complete and utter radio silence. It’s not that he hadn’t tried to reach out, either; Nick wasn’t exactly accustomed to being on the receiving end of Brian’s cold shoulder. Eventually though, the calls stopped ringing and started immediately going to voicemail and with each time he listened to the sound of his friend’s professional voicemail greeting, the more Nick’s judgment became clouded. A bottle of tequila in by Saturday morning and Nick was fairly certain he could care less if he ever spoke to Brian again.

From that point on, the rest of Nick’s weekend became a whirlwind blur of bad choices, alcohol, and sex. A lot of dirty raunchy sex with multiple women, sometimes more than one at one time, that his escapades even had him surprised with himself come the end of the weekend. The last whore on Nick’s list of current conquests hadn’t even been intentional, but he had never been one to pass up the opportunity for a good time. At the very least, it had allowed him to release what little bit of residual anger still festered within him before he bothered himself to finally head into the precinct to face everyone that seemed to make his life more miserable than it already was more often than not these days.

Not like he could avoid the precinct for long, anyway. Captain Halverson had made it very clear on a hasty voicemail the previous evening that Nick would prove smart to be in his office bright and early come the following morning for a meeting to discuss his recent conduct, that is if he cared enough about his job. That last bit was questionable, but considering Nick couldn’t truly afford to lose his position with the department, he begrudgingly forced himself out of bed, smacked the brunette’s ass—whose name he didn’t bother himself to learn, of course—out the front door as she left with a giggle, and dragged himself to the precinct for a session of lecturing from his superiors.

Sighing inwardly with a scowl he could barely contain, Nick moved further away from the elevator, carefully balancing two specialty coffee cups, one in each hand. He had been cognizant enough about the fact that he wasn’t going to make it through the day without something strong to keep him awake, so the triple shot espresso would have to make due, while the other—some sort of cappa-frappa-whatever that Brian liked—would hopefully suffice as a peace offering and at least get his friend to acknowledge that Nick still even existed. Not that he thought an apology was deserving, but he sure as Hell didn’t need anything else making his life more difficult at that time.

Nick kept his gaze focused ahead of him as he walked through the modern open layout of his department’s floor, exerting extra effort to ignore anyone who possibly crossed his path before he could reach his partner’s office. Thankfully, the department was relatively quiet that morning and he made it to Brian’s open doorway with no measurable trouble. Of course his partner was about as punctual as anyone could be; it irritated Nick to no end, always had.

Brian was perched diligently behind his desk, cellphone pressed between his shoulder and his ear as he filed absently through the papers of an open file set in the middle of a mess of other papers on his desk. Nick was half tempted to barge right in in his typical obnoxious and invasive fashion, but it was the sound of his partner’s voice that left him hesitating in the doorway.

“John, hey, it’s Brian Littrell,” Brian spoke, sitting up straighter in his seat when it was evident that whoever he had been waiting for to answer had finally come on the line. “How’s it going?”

For several minutes, the conversation proceeded in a casual manner as Brian exchanged pleasantries with whoever he was speaking to before his tone became more serious, peaking Nick’s interest as he chose to remain in the doorway, listening out of curiosity.

“So, listen…” Brian continued, dragging a sheet of paper in front of him. “I’m working a bit of a side case right now. A matter of locating some family members for someone. Your brother suggested I give you a call, see if you would be able to look into it and provide some assistance, considering you’re the best of the best.”

There was a lull in chatter from Brian’s end for a brief moment before he nodded to himself. “Unfortunately, I don’t have much information to provide you with at the moment, except for three names. Who we’re looking to locate is a Tomás and Renata Alvarez, parents of Lucia Giacomo, née Alvarez. Origin of birth somewhere in Mexico.”

Nick leaned against the doorframe to continue listening, his brows furling at the thought of the liking his partner had taken for the widow of their recent victim. Brian had always managed a softer side and sense of empathy, more so than his counterpart, but Nick just didn’t understand why Brian seemed to always invest himself deeply a step further in matters that would never help them when it came to solving a case. Especially now. He thought it was bad judgment on Brian’s part.

Brian sighed and dropped the paper onto the desk. “Lucia is due to come speak with me soon, so hopefully I will have more detailed pertinent information to provide you with the next time we speak,” he explained. “I know it’s a shot in the dark, but I really do appreciate your willingness to take this on.”

It was all Nick could do not to roll his eyes and keep quiet when Brian chortled and relaxed back into his chair. “Howie holds his own pretty well around here. He’s a good man and a good detective. There’s no denying that,” he acknowledged. Brian’s gaze suddenly shifted towards the doorway and his expression considerably darkened when he caught sight of Nick. “Listen, John, I gotta let you go. But I look forward to speaking with you again.”

Nick waited until Brian had disconnected the call before he pushed the weight of his body away from the doorframe to finally step into the office. “...John...?”

Just as quickly as Brian had looked at Nick, he looked away from him again and placed his cellphone down on the desk. “Dorough,” he answered dismissively, turning his attention to his computer monitor.

Moving further into the office, Nick lifted a brow. “Howie’s brother?”

“Do you know another Dorough?”

There was a considerable bite to Brian’s tone, a clear indication to Nick that he was still harboring his anger from days before. And so, knowing that no invite to stick around would be extended to him any time soon, Nick took it upon himself to approach Brian’s desk with casual stride.

“No, but, I didn’t know you were besties with Howie and his brother,” he attempted to joke as he set the to-go cup in front of his partner. Nick waited with baited breath for Brian to take the offering, but much to his disappointment—and maybe truthfully he had been kind of expecting it—as the other man hastened a glance of disdain at the object before returning his attention to his computer. “Dude, I’m joking. Here, I brought you your favorite cappa-frappe-whatever.”

Exhaling a hard sigh through his nostrils, Brian busied himself navigating through several files connected to the precinct-wide database, despite the weight of Nick’s expectant stare tugging at his awareness. “What do you want, Nick?” he muttered, his words all but dripping with impatience.

Nick blinked, his lips parting in silence for a brief moment before he shut them tightly and turned in his dejection to move over to the well-used black leather couch. He flopped down, slouching back into the couch with the tips of his fingers tapping against his knee out of nervous habit. “I tried calling you this weekend…multiple times,” he mentioned.

“I’m aware,” Brian replied as the printer to his right audibly warmed up and began to print his requested document. He reached for the sheet of paper, still warm from the print.

“You didn’t answer,” Nick continued, his voice forcibly casual.

“I know,” Brian again replied without a glance in Nick’s direction.

Nick’s fingers stilled against his knee as he fought his antsy nature wanting to rise to the surface. “Well...why the Hell not?” he pressed.

“Because, Nick,” Brian stiffly told him with a hard sigh as he rotated the chair to face him. “That’s  **_typically_ ** what someone does when they’re ignoring someone.”

Nick scowled inwardly from Brian’s brazen response. “Shit, man, who the Hell pissed in your Cheerios?”

“ **_You_ ** ,” the answer slipped from Brian’s mouth without a sense of hesitation.

For a long drawn out moment that was filled with so much tension that Nick was certain it would need a knife to slice through, their eyes locked in such a way that the silent battle had Nick briefly cowering under his friend’s stare. And when Brian’s frown of disgust showed no signs of wavering, Nick shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked away.

“C’mon…” he chuckled nervously, but the uncertainty and insecurity in his voice surprised even him. “...Don’t tell me you’re still brooding over that shit show between McLean and I on Friday?”

Brian’s visual expression of intolerance seemed to almost resonate throughout the office as he leaned forward and rigidly folded his arms atop the desk. “Shit show?” he all but sarcastically chuckled. “Is that what you’re calling it?”

Nick lifted a shoulder, avoiding Brian’s heated stare. “McLean’s a dick.”

Shoving the chair back from the desk, Brian stood and stormed over to the office doorway. Without warning and clearly without care for who it would disturb, he slammed the door shut and faced Nick once again. “Grow the  **_fuck_ ** up, Nick!” he snapped.

Unable to hide his wince of surprise, Nick brought his attention back to his partner. “Okay, not my proudest moment…” he mumbled.

“God, why do I even still bother?” Brian mustered, eyes flitting up to the ceiling with fleeting patience.

“Because I’m the pain in the ass little brother you never asked for?” Nick offered. He attempted a crooked grin, but the expression didn’t quite make it to the surface. “Dude, we’re family, remember? We have to put up with each other by default because you love me or some other sappy ass bullshit-”

“Family or not, right now I couldn’t give a fuck less who the Hell you are!” Brian interrupted him, eyes seething down at Nick.

“Let’s not waste time ripping the bandaid off,” Nick wheezed in return.

“Damnit, Nick, be serious!” Brian stressed in exasperation.

Nick shifted nervously on the couch. “Could you stop swearing? Not gonna lie...it’s pretty unbecoming.”

Sighing just audibly, Brian eased himself to lean against the edge of the desk, still facing Nick with his arms crossed over his chest. Though his expression softened just slightly. “Nick…”

“I get it, Brian. You’re pissed at me. I’m the dick,” Nick said. “Is that what you want to hear me say?”

As his forehead creased with residual frustration, Brian kept his gaze firmly focused on his counterpart. “No,” he replied. “I want you to help me understand what has gotten into you lately.”

Nick’s leg began to bounce idly, his eyes shifting around the office without really seeing anything. “Nothing has gotten into me…” he mumbled.

“Cut the bullshit,” Brian leveled with him. “Just be honest with me for once.”

Reaching a hand up to rub at his forehead, Nick pressed back into the couch. “I dunno...alright?” he offered with a tight shake of his head. “I know I’ve been off. I’ve been a pain in the ass. I just...I dunno what my deal is.”

“You’ve gotta do better than that, Nick,” Brian told him in disbelief, hand motioning in the air. “You’ve gotta give me something better to work with than just you don’t know. Because this? All this crap you’ve been doing? All this Hell you’ve been raising? ‘I don’t know’ doesn’t cut it. And it sure as Hell doesn’t make sense, not for the Nick  **_I_ ** know. This person you’ve become...he’s not Nick.”

Nick felt more than a little disgruntled as he forced himself to sit forward on the edge of the couch, narrow gaze focused on the flooring beneath his feet. Brian’s nagging voice continued to ring in his ears for moments after, causing the urge to just get up and leave the room to intensify or yell back at his partner that all of this “change” he was being accused of was something Brian was just as guilty for. Nick did neither, though. Instead, he merely allowed his shoulders to slump, head barely nodding.

“...You’re right,” he relented.

“I’m worried about you, brother,” Brian spoke softer this time. His attention was placed elsewhere in the room when Nick looked up at him again. “I’m always going to worry about you. But...I can’t keep putting my neck out on the line for you every time you decide to screw up. I can’t keep trying to help you clean up your messes when you’re right behind me making another one. You’re not a kid anymore, Nick. You need to grow up and start taking responsibility for your own actions. You screw this up and you’re on your own. I meant it when I said I’m done.”

“Yeah, okay, Dad,” Nick chuckled sarcastically, but the response wasn’t reciprocated as Brian returned his irritated stare to him. Feeling the heat ignite in his cheeks, Nick swallowed a hasty sip of his espresso. “Listen, I get what you’re saying, alright? So can we just cut the sappy sentimental bullshit already? I’m sorry I’ve been such a douche canoe. I’ll try harder to get my act together, yada yada yada. I don’t need a babysitter though. I manage just fine on my own.”

“Do you?” Brian challenged the statement. “Because you sure as Hell have had me and everyone else fooled this entire time.”

Nick snorted in annoyance, his patience growing thin. “I’ve made it this far, haven’t I?”

Brian exhaled a sharp breath through his nostrils. He opened his mouth in anger, but his response was cut prematurely when the phone behind him on the desk lit up with a shrill abrasive ring. Swallowing whatever he had been preparing to say, he reached back to draw the receiver to his ear. “Detective Littrell,” he answered, distracted as he kept his eyes on Nick. “...Yeah, he’s here. ...Sure thing, I’ll send him your way.”

Nick winced when Brian slowly returned the receiver back to the base. “Halverson?”

Brian hesitated before he nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well,” Nick inhaled deeply with a crooked grin as he rose to his feet. He swallowed the rest of his espresso and dropped the empty cup in the trash can next to the desk. “Guess I better go get it over with then.”

“...You should know Halverson intended to fire you this morning,” Brian told him as Nick turned to step past him towards the door.

Nick paused with his back to his partner. “...Intended or intends?”

“Intended,” Brian reiterated.

“Why the change of heart?”

“I talked him off the ledge.”

Nick’s face scrunched into a hard frown as he glanced back at his partner over his shoulder, yet he couldn’t quite fight the smirk that was tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Thought you said you were done looking out for me.”

“Yeah, well…” Brian trailed before moving to reclaim his seat behind his desk and reach for the cup of coffee Nick had brought him. “Consider it your last get out of jail free card. I won’t do it again, Nick.”

“Man, you really gotta work on your breaking up skills. You almost had me convinced there for a moment,” Nick chuckled, only to clear his throat awkwardly when Brian’s steely stare silenced his renewed humor. He saluted his partner with a nod. “Duly noted. But...does this mean you’re talking to me again? Because, y’know...you ignoring me like a little bitch kinda sucks ass.”

Brian’s expression didn’t waiver. “Get out of my office, Nick.”

Nick feigned insult as he lingered near the doorway. “There you go being a Debbie Downer again.”

“Nick…” Brian sighed in warning.

Grinning as he heard their captain shouting his name impatiently from the other end of their department, Nick stopped with one foot out and one foot still in the office, hand pressed against the doorframe. “At least let me make it up to you.”

“You’re gonna be the death of me,” Brian grumbled in annoyance. “I’m too busy-”

Nick quickly glanced over his shoulder when he heard his name again. “Not right now,” he said, fingers tapping nervously against the doorframe. “Tonight. You, me. We’re going out.”

Brian glanced over at him in exasperation. “No.”

“C’mon,” Nick pressed with a huff. “You want me to start pulling my weight more with this case and this is gonna help me do that. I’m gonna take you to Club Kaos.”

“How do you suppose visiting the bottom of a liquor bottle is going to help you do your job?” Brian sarcastically questioned.

“Because sober me is a bitch to work with and I’m trying to turn a new leaf,” Nick returned without skipping a beat, so much so that Brian blinked at him in surprise. “Seriously, man, hear me out. Up to this point, we’ve gotten shit for leads and Club Kaos seems to be our ground zero, right? So why the Hell wouldn’t we go scope the place out together? I mean, I’m familiar with it, but your prude ass could use a little familiarizing. A little undercover tag team like back in the day.”

_ “ _ **_I swear, Carter, if you are not in my office in the next thirty seconds, so help me God!”_ **

Nick winced at the sound of their captain’s threat and the round of various chuckles from some detectives that were passing by at that moment. “What would it hurt, huh? When’s the last time you and I spent any quality time together? Besides, Leighanne’s in Seattle, so it’s not like you have to rush home to the wifey after work.”

Brian narrowed his eyes at him. “You called my wife?”

Nick rolled his eyes. “You were ignoring me. What did you expect me to do?”

“To put your big boy pants on and give me the common courtesy of some space,” Brian answered, “A concept you clearly don’t understand.”

“Whatever,” Nick shrugged dismissively. “I’m not taking no for an answer. Are you in or are you in?”

Relenting with a motion of his hands, Brian sighed again. “...Fine, whatever, just go.”

Nick offered his partner a cheeky grin as he straightened his posture. “Great! Drinks are on me!” he claimed jovially before ducking out of Brian’s office and hurrying along his way. “Yo, Cap! You’re looking good this morning! Is that a new suit?”

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

| _ I just walked in. Where are you? _ |

Sending the text, Brian kept a tight grip on his phone as he allowed his gaze to make a quick sweep over his surroundings. Club Kaos wasn’t exactly what he had been expecting, and yet...it was everything he had been expecting all at the same time. Loud, bass-heavy music--the kind Brian tended to avoid listening to--assaulted his eardrums the moment he stepped foot through the door. The cacophony of sounds initially left Brian lingering near the doorway with regret for agreeing to his partner’s invitation that evening, but Nick had been persuasive and even up to Brian’s point of arrival had sent texts seeking assurance that he was still coming. As much as he would have rather been elsewhere, Brian knew he’d be damned and never hear the end of it from Nick if he didn’t follow through with his word to show.

Besides, Nick did have somewhat of a point. Club Kaos was their case’s quintessential ground zero, the common ground that connected their victim and his associate. They  _ knew _ that, but they didn’t exactly know  _ how _ . There was no telling just how much of a significance the club actually held in regards to their case; currently, they were blindly going off the word of their victim’s widow and what little she had been able to tell them. They still hadn’t been able to locate Samuel Maddox either, leaving them unable to verify the connection they had been able to establish between him and their victim. What they  **_needed_ ** to do was visit during the club’s off hours and start questioning the employees, really start digging into the background of the establishment and-

The phone vibrated in Brian’s hand, interrupting his train of thought. Swallowing a sigh, he lifted the device and opened up the message that had come through.

| _ I can see you and you stick out like a sore thumb. It’s kinda pathetic. _ |

Brian could almost hear his partner laughing at his expense as he looked away from his phone and made another sweep around his immediate surroundings with his eyes, feeling more than a little awkward and like a vulnerable sitting duck with the walls closing in around him. But the thought frustrated Brian and left his already non-existent sense of patience crumbling around him as he lifted the device in his hand once more, typing a hasty response.

| _ Either tell me where you are or I’m leaving. _ |

Brian cursed under his breath when a couple of scantily clad women brushed past him, clearly already intoxicated and chattering loudly against the music. Frowning, he took a few steps forward and grimaced as the flash of one of the fluorescent strobe lights swept through his field of vision, disorienting him and freezing him in place. All things considered, he could understand why Nick fancied frequenting the establishment, which only made Brian hate being there even more. If one thing was true to fact, it was that he and Nick were polar opposites when it came to their idea of a good time. It had always been that way, too.

| _ Across the dance floor, past the stripper grinding the pole, and to the right. At the far end of the bar. _ |

Shaking his head, Brian placed his phone in his pocket and began to make his way through the expansive area of the dance floor. Expansive being how high the ceiling was overhead the multistory building; the dance floor, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Already packed nearly wall to wall, Brian found it difficult to navigate along his way, weaving haphazardly in between the passionate, sweaty dancing and grinding of the club’s patrons. The sea of clientele was so thick that he could easily see the way the strings of people idled and flowed up along the black staircase leading to the second floor landing that wrapped in its entirety around the dance floor below. Everywhere he seemed to look, there was someone...grinning at him, tugging at him, dragging him deeper into the dance floor…

Brian sighed a breath of relief when he stumbled free of the rolling waves of the dance floor several minutes later and took a moment to regain his composure as he lifted a hand to run it through his hair. Although, no sooner had Brian steadied did he turn towards the direction of the bar and found himself in close proximity to a petite and lithe female dancer upon a platform who kept one hand securely gripped to the silver pole behind her as she extended her nearly naked body dangerously close in Brian’s direction; she would have been completely naked if it weren’t for the small thin g-string that barely covered the most private area between her legs.

Taken aback by the sudden encounter and the fact that the dancer’s ample breasts were damn near within reach of brushing against his face, Brian felt himself uncomfortably frozen in place as the dancer locked gazes with his and offered him a grin and seductive wink.

“Dude, you are practically drooling!” Nick’s voice was suddenly ripping through the music and Brian’s distracted awareness with laughter. And then, his partner’s familiar arm was draping over his shoulders, keeping Brian firmly rooted in place. “It’s okay, I won’t tell the wifey you were enjoying another woman’s boobs!”

Brian blinked himself out of his stupor and turned a sharp scowl onto Nick. “You’re not funny.”

“I’m fucking hilarious, man,” Nick continued to grin at him. He smacked Brian’s chest and nodded up at the dancer who had returned to working the silver pole skillfully. “You think  **_she’s_ ** impressive? You should see some of the fine female meat they reserve for the VIP rooms upstairs!”

“I’m  **_not_ ** impressed,” Brian told him, shrugging Nick’s arm from around his shoulders so he could step past him and continue to make his way towards the bar.

Nick was quick to follow in his wake and joined him when they reached the edge of the bar. “Would you stop being such a prude? Loosen up and have a little fun!”

It was all Brian could do to roll his eyes as he kept his gaze firmly planted forward. “I’m pretty sure you do that enough for the both of us.”

Nick shrugged, smirking to himself. “Hey, that’s only because I recognize the fact that I ain’t dead yet and there’s no harm in living a little. One of the finer joys in life since getting rid of Lauren’s ball and chain.”

“You used to like that ball and chain,” Brian mentioned, allowing a faint smirk of his own to form upon his face.

Very briefly, Nick’s expression faltered and then just as quickly darkened. “Lauren was a narcissistic bitch, okay? And a fucking pain in my ass.”

Brian knowingly held his hands up in defense to dismiss the topic. “Okay, okay.”

Nick motioned with his hand to grab the bartender’s attention from where the man stood at the opposite end of the long bar, tending to a pair of ogling blondes. “Yo, Rocky!” he shouted and held up the empty glass that had been gripped in his left hand the entire time. “Another round, man! And get my brother here something to loosen him up!”

It didn’t take long for the bartender to part ways from the two blondes with a smirk and a wink and obediently make his way over to where Brian and Nick stood. Without hesitating, he topped off the ice in Nick’s glass and began to replenish the amber colored liquor, all the while glancing at Brian. “What’s it gonna be?”

“Just give him a double of what I’ve got,” Nick insisted before Brian could even think fast enough to formulate a response. The bartender shrugged with a chuckle and set another glass on the surface of the bar next to Nick’s, filling it with the same amber liquor. Nick forced the glass into Brian’s hand as soon as the bartender had finished and walked away. “Drink. It’s high end bourbon. And stop being such a tight ass. I’ve got a reputation in this place.”

Brian sighed to keep from rolling his eyes. “You’re a royal pain, you know that, right?”

Nick offered him a cheeky grin. “And yet, you still keep me around,” he said before slinging an arm over Brian’s shoulders and leading him away from the bar. “C’mon, it’s too loud down here. Upstairs is where the fun’s at. I reserved us a room.”

“Wait-” Brian started to argue as Nick tugged him back into the thick swarm of patrons crowding the dance floor. Stumbling out into the open at the base of the staircase afterward, Brian swallowed a curse of frustration when he felt some of the bourbon from the glass splash out onto his hand, and after looking down, he realized it had soaked through his shirt as well. Though Nick didn’t give him much of a chance to think about it further as he nudged him to start moving up the staircase.

“You really need to get out more,” Nick chuckled when they reached the second floor landing and maneuvered around some lingering people blocking their path. He led them to the right, around the curve of the landing and finally down a short hallway that was a little less crowded. Stopping a brief time later outside a closed door, Nick clamped his hand on Brian’s shoulder with a familiar grin. “Seriously, relax. Leighanne’s got you so wound up in the role of The Real House Husbands of Wherever, that you’ve forgotten how to have fun. I miss hanging out with you.”

Brian watched as Nick opened the door and reluctantly, he followed him inside. With the door shut and the club’s music from below sufficiently muffled, Brian felt like he could finally think straight. His vision, however, was still an issue with the black lighting sporadically placed around the room making the neon colors of the wall decorations pop outward. It was a little disorienting. “Some of us got the nightlife out of our systems a long time ago,” he mumbled after a moment, looking around the room in an attempt to stabilize himself.

“Huh?” Nick questioned from where he had paused in the middle of the room as he withdrew his pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

“Never mind,” Brian dismissed as he brought his glass up to his lips for a careful sip.

Sticking a cigarette between his lips, Nick lit the end of it and inhaled a long drag before stepping over to the couch in the room and dropping heavily onto it. “You just gonna stand there or what?”

Grudgingly, Brian claimed the spot beside Nick on the couch and motioned around the room. “Had to of cost a pretty penny to reserve this?”

Nick shrugged and exhaled a long stream of smoke from his nostrils. “Frequent flier perk.”

“...Really, Nick?” Brian chuckled sarcastically with a brow raised.

“I told you, I have a reputation around here,” Nick shrugged again. “I get what I want. No questions asked.”

Brian shook his head at the thought. “Then you should know the ins and outs of this place pretty well.”

“Depends if we’re talking about the same ins and outs,” Nick smirked with a wiggle of his brows. He swallowed a sip of his drink and inhaled another drag from the cigarette before realizing Brian was just staring at him without reaction. Rolling his eyes, he leaned forward to place his glass on the small table in front of the couch. “Bad joke, obviously.”

“Hey, what you do in your free time is your business,” Brian said.

“Coming from the guy who constantly gives me Hell about it,” Nick countered.

“All I’m saying is I can’t stop you from doing what you’re going to do,” Brian explained in return. “It doesn’t mean I have to agree with it or even like it.”

Nick snorted. “Yeah, you’ve made that clear plenty of times.”

“Nick…” Brian started to say, gaze shifting down to the glass clasped in his right hand. Then, still feeling the weight of Nick’s stare, he motioned with his head to encompass the room. “Whatever you’ve schemed for tonight, save yourself the trouble and don’t, because I’m not interested. It’s your gig, not mine.”

For a long drawn out moment, Nick stared back at his friend wordlessly until finally the realization of Brian’s statement clicked in his mind. He roared with a raucous laughter and haphazardly snuffed his cigarette out in the empty ashtray that was on the table.

“You actually thought I-” he sputtered through his laughter. “For fuck’s sake, Brian, I know I’m an asshole, but I respect you and Leighanne more than that. Besides, why the Hell would I try to waste a good piece of willing meat on you when I know you wouldn’t enjoy it?”

Brian was thankful the room was dark enough to conceal the heat that tinted his cheeks red. “Then what is with this room?”

“To be able to talk because it’s too fucking loud down below.” Nick reached for his glass and quickly swallowed the contents. “...And I’ve got a rendezvous later with a certain someone.”

“You’re something else,” Brian told him. He afforded another sip of his drink, but grimaced from the burn of the liquor sliding down his throat.

Nick leaned back into the couch with a smug grin, head relaxing against the plush cushions.“I love being an ass and tits man. It keeps life interesting.”

“One day you are going to come to regret that way of thinking,” Brian told him.

“You’re probably right. But until I do?” Nick cocked his brows in Brian’s direction. “You can live vicariously through me.”

Brian rolled his eyes, although he allowed a faint smirk of amusement to remain apparent on his face. “So, um...this place,” he casually stated, hoping to draw Nick’s attention to the matters pertaining to their case. The sooner they discussed and scoped the place out together, the sooner Brian figured he would be able to leave. He had never been much of a drinker and as it was, he could already feel a nagging headache beginning to form from the loud music still playing down below. “How long have you been coming here?”

Shrugging, Nick allowed his eyes to rest shut for a few moments as his right foot idly tapped against the carpet to the beat of the music’s bass. “I dunno, it's been a long time. Since it opened, I guess?” he chuckled and rubbed his hands over his face before rising to his feet. “You lose track after a while.”

Brian watched Nick as he moved across the room with familiarity over to the private mini bar set up opposite of them; seeing the assortment of liquor bottles left him wondering just how much truth there was to Nick’s claim of a reputation at the establishment that got him whatever he wanted. It was a bit disconcerting, but Brian wasn’t about to put it past his friend to have wasted enough money to elevate his status.

“I know what you’re thinking, or rather what you’re hoping,” Nick continued after he had poured himself a new drink--this time a clear liquor. He turned to face Brian as he took a sip easily like it were water. “I never saw our vic here. Didn’t see his associate either. I’m not saying that they weren’t here, but you saw how packed this place gets. And besides, I prefer to spend my time up here where it’s more...one on one, if you know what I mean.”

“Makes sense,” Brian nodded in thought. “A place like this should have a fairly sophisticated video surveillance system. They’d be violating building code without one. Wouldn’t hurt either to submit a request for a warrant to get our hands on the footage. Or at least to get us in here outside of business hours to view it. Sending a few of us in to start speaking to the employees is gonna be important too.”

“Bust in guns blazing?” Nick snorted. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, mulling over Brian’s statements.

“No,” Brian countered, hand raising to halt any further quips. “But you were right when you said this place is our ground zero. So, we start from the ground up. We need to look into histories. Who is behind this place. Any connections, no matter how small. Old school basics.”

“You realize the manpower alone it’s going to take to comb through, what...six months plus of video surveillance footage?” Nick mentioned. He swirled the contents around in his glass before raising it back to his lips. “I’m sure next you’re gonna suggest 24 hour surveillance outside the perimeter of the club, too.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Brian agreed.

Nick nearly choked on his drink, cocking a brow as he cleared his throat. “I was joking.”

Brian shrugged, leaning forward to set his glass on the table. “It’s something to consider. I mean, if this place is as integral to our case as I’m suspecting, we’ll want to set up surveillance to keep an eye on activity.”

“Or maybe you’re-” Nick paused before stressing, “- **_we’re_ ** just reaching. You know me; I’m all about busting in guns blazing. Hell, I’ll be the first one to go in. But I don’t trust this is gonna be so cut and dry. Whoever is behind all of this, it’s gotta be more intricate. It’s gotta be more...convoluted.”

“Clearly we’ve got our work cut out for us,” Brian chuckled inwardly with a tight shake of his head.

Shooting the rest of the liquor in the glass, Nick set it heavily upon the surface of the mini bar. “Hold that thought,” he grumbled. “I gotta take a piss.”   
  


Brian waved his partner off and allowed himself to relax back into the couch as he mulled over what Nick had just said. Truth be told, simple was the last thing Brian was expecting the case to be. In fact, it was already turning out to be anything but. And if there was one important thing he had learned since beginning his career in law enforcement, it was to never spend a single moment believing a case was cut and dry, especially when it came to something that appeared as such.

Rubbing his hands tiredly over his face, Brian let his mind wander along with the beat of the bass. The door to the room silently re-opened and if it weren’t for the fact that it caused the music from down below to elevate in volume again and flood into the room, Brian never would have even taken notice. He opened his eyes, automatically expecting to see Nick having returned to the room faster than he anticipated. “Geez, did you even have time to wash your hands?”

Brian’s voice fell short when he caught sight of the rather petite brunette who had just slipped gracefully into the room. Dressed only in a black leather corset, small lace thong, and stiletto heels, she let the door click shut behind her and began to move towards the couch in alluring fashion with a seductive smirk teasing the corners of her perfectly glossed lips.

“Well well well...hello handsome,” she spoke in a voice that was silky in both tone and rhythm. Her intense and luminous brown eyes were captivating with the way she kept her gaze specifically trained on Brian, enough that it was unnerving to watch, and yet at first, he couldn’t quite get himself to look away. “I suspected you would be quite the looker, but damn, you don’t disappoint.”

“I’m sorry, but I believe you’re mistaken,” Brian told her with a visible frown as he shook his head. “This isn’t the room you’re looking for.”

“Um…” the woman continued to grin, her gaze shifting around the room in amusement. “Pretty sure this is the right room.”

Brian sat up straighter, scrutinizing the woman. “Then I’m gonna assume you’re looking for Nick. He’s not here. He ran to the bathroom.”

“Nick?” she chuckled, head tilting to the side as if she were sizing Brian up and down. “Is he as good looking as you?”

Releasing a shallow chuckle, Brian shook his head again. “Ma’am, with all due respect, I’m married and not interested in whatever you’re trying to sell.”

“Ma’am? Now  **_that’s_ ** something I don’t get called very often,” she replied before tucking silken strands of her chestnut brown hair behind her ear and drawing near the couch. Lowering herself onto the black leather cushions, she shifted close to Brian’s side and danced the tips of her fingers along his shoulder. “Relax, handsome. I work here. Name’s Heather.”

Brian gently moved Heather’s hand away from his shoulder. “Regardless, I’m not interested,” he reiterated. “I apologize if you’ve come here expecting one thing. I’m sure Nick thought it would be a great joke to have you come in here but-”

Heather placed her index finger against Brian’s lips to quiet him. “Listen, I don’t know what you think you know, but don’t be so quick to dismiss,” she told him. “Word got around that there was an officer in the house tonight. Not often we get your kind in these parts, not unless you’re here causing trouble for us. Naturally I had to see for myself.”

“How did you know I’m an officer?” A crease formed in Brian’s forehead as he leaned back in the couch to get away from Heather’s touch.

“Seriously?” Heather laughed outwardly, her amusement catching reflection of the blacklights in the room and twinkling in her mysterious eyes. “You don’t exactly blend in, handsome. Besides, your badge sticks out like a sore thumb.”

Brian followed Heather’s gaze down to where he still had his detective’s badge clipped to his belt line, the sight of it barely peeking out from the coverage of his blazer. His cheeks tinted crimson as he awkwardly shifted the lining of his blazer to cover the badge. “Guilty,” he mumbled.

Heather bit impishly upon her bottom lip, still visibly amused. “Are you always this uptight?”

“This place isn’t exactly my cup of tea,” Brian told her.

“Clearly,” Heather nodded in return. “Then why are you here?”

“I’m not by choice,” Brian started to say, frowning yet again when Heather stood from the couch and came to a stop behind him.

“Let me guess...Nick?” Heather brought her hands down onto Brian’s shoulders, immediately taking note of how stiff they were. “You’re so tense right now. Let me help you relax.”

Brian pulled away from her and leaned forward to reach for his drink, eying the door and silently beckoning his friend to reenter the room. “I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t do that.”

Remaining in place, Heather waited until he had a grip on the glass and sat back in his seat before returning her hands to his shoulders and slowly sliding them down to his chest. “What are you so worried about?” she inquired curiously, grinning to herself when he stiffened further but didn’t move away. “There’s no judgment here. What happens in this room stays in this room.”

“I am going to kill Nick,” Brian grumbled under his breath before swallowing a hasty sip of the bitter liquor.

The warmth of Heather’s breath fluttered against Brian’s cheek as she leaned in close to him. “Maybe I should be thanking Nick.”

“I will say it again…” Brian trailed in warning. “I am not interested.”

“They all say that, at first,” Heather sighed and then, before Brian could think to stop her, she moved from behind the couch and perched herself upon his lap with her arms draped loosely over his shoulders. “Too afraid to admit they will like it. Or...that they  **_want_ ** it.”

Brian inhaled a sharp breath when he felt the way Heather rolled her hips down against his. “Ma’am, you are making a mistake…” he started to say, his words stuttering with the way the pace of his heartbeat quickened.

“Are you sure about that?” Heather smirked at him, feeling the way his body began to react beneath her. She grabbed the glass of liquor out of his hand and tipped the rim to her lips, quickly swallowing the contents.Rolling her hips again, she took note of how he hardened beneath her. “Your reaction is telling me a completely different story right now.”

“Stop,” Brian mustered, swallowing thickly from the pressure that began to accumulate in his groin. When Heather again rolled her hips against his and a gasp left his lips unexpectedly, Brian swiftly pushed her off of him and jumped up from the couch. He wasted no time in pinning her back into the cushions with his hands firmly gripping her shoulders, his eyes storming down at her angrily. “I said  **_stop_ ** and I suggest you listen before I arrest you for assaulting an officer of the law. Do I make myself clear?”

Heather grinned up at him, not phased. “What a shame. You’re missing out.”

Brian released his grip on Heather’s shoulders and took several steps back from the couch. Running a hand through his hair in a flustered manner, he turned and quickly made his way across the room to leave, though no sooner had he opened the door did he nearly stumble right into Nick who stood on the other side. Brian blinked in surprise at the sight of his friend standing there unexpectedly, arm wrapped securely around the waist of a thin strawberry-blonde-haired woman who hung on his shoulder and who was very clearly inebriated.

“Dude...what is wrong?” Nick chuckled, eying Brian suspiciously when he looked over his shoulder into the room and caught sight of Heather sitting on the couch. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Scowling as the woman with Nick giggled, Brian squared his shoulders and tried to push past the pair. “I’m leaving.”

“Whoa, wait, why?” Nick stopped him, hand against Brian’s chest to block his path. “What the Hell has gotten into you?”

“Get out of my way, Nick,” Brian responded sharply. He didn’t waste another moment or another breath before maneuvering around the woman and his friend and disappeared down the hall.


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Chapter contains explicit sexual content as well as brief depictions of sensitive content***

**Chapter 7**

It wasn’t so much the shifting of the bed’s mattress that jarred Nick out of a blissfully unaware state of slumber as it was the fact that the movement had every single one of his senses surging to life all at the same time. All too quickly, he became very aware of the heat of the mid-morning sun pouring in through the scenic window across the room and the combative coolness of the air conditioning system running to the max overhead. Every inch of his skin prickled with sensation as he inhaled a deep breath, groaning a moment later when his brain had caught up enough to register the fact that his head wasn’t just aching, it was pounding. He could tell before he even pried his eyes open that he would find the room teetering around him, so he took an extra moment to remain where he was, sprawled on his stomach with his face pressed to his pillow and one arm dangling precariously over the edge of the bed.

Then the bed shifted again, more subtly this time, and it wasn’t long before Nick felt the tender pressure of soft, velvety lips peppering delicate kisses against his skin right between his shoulder blades. His mouth curled into a smug grin, especially when he felt a set of teeth nip at the spot, and a rush of memories came flooding into his mind just as quickly as he had awoken. Sweaty skin upon sweaty skin. Countless shots of liquor straight from the bottle. Cigarettes and a little recreational pleasure. And one of the best damn blow jobs Nick could ever remember himself getting.

“You’re such a fucking tease,” Nick heard himself mumbling before he unhooked his other arm from beneath the pillow and slowly rolled over onto his back. Blinking until his sight had cleared, Nick shifted a lazy gaze up at the familiar strawberry-blonde from the night before, perched on the edge of the bed in all of her naked glory. The upward curl at the corner of Nick’s mouth became more pronounced and he just as lazily extended his arm out to dance the tips of his fingers along her bare thigh. “This is a wake up call I could get used to.”

“Is that so, gorgeous?” she replied with brows raised invitingly in such a way that had Nick staring back at her with the same carnal hunger that had driven his stamina the previous night. 

She was a sight to see; every inch of her left Nick with a craving to explore and explore he had. Over and over, well into the early morning hours until they had both finally passed out from the pure unadulterated exhaustion that was a result of their activities. Nick didn’t exactly remember the moment he allowed himself to succumb to sleep, but he sure as Hell couldn’t forget any of the moments that led up to it, not with the way she had rode him with such vocal pleasure that he found himself wondering if he had brought a porno star home.

Kimm...not with one ‘m’ but two, as she had explained her name to Nick after leaving the club and stumbling through the front door of his house. He didn’t ask for her name--he never did--but the sound of it rolling off her tongue was like a sweet melodic song to his ears. Multiple times he repeated it back to her in between devouring her lips with his, and with the door slammed shut behind them, they were barely up the stairs before all articles of their clothing had been stripped and abandoned along the way. 

By that point, it was all Nick had within him not to just take the woman right then and there before even making it to the bedroom, but with a surprising turn of events, Kimm proved a dominant side of her own that Nick hadn’t been expecting.  **_He_ ** was used to being the one who took the reins and called the shots, but it quickly became clear that he had met his match the moment he made the decision to place his target on Kimm--hook, line, and sinker. Or had it been the other way around and Kimm was the one who hooked  **_him_ ** ? For the first time in a very long while, Nick was willing to admit that he hadn’t been the only one calling the shots during the escapade. It was a bit of a thrilling thought, actually; shake things up and make life a little more interesting.

“Something has the wheels turning in your head right now,” Kimm giggled with an impish grin. Her gaze shifted down to where his hand was absentmindedly caressing her thigh. “Sleep well?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Nick muttered with a chuckle of his own before abandoning Kimm’s thigh to raise his hand to her ample breast. He cupped it firmly, thoroughly enjoying the feel of the fullness of her silky skin as his thumb flicked over her perked nipple. “Probably the best I have in a long time.”

Kimm arched into his hand, welcoming the fondling. “I wore you out last night.”

Nick smirked up at her. “You’re so certain of yourself?”

“You’re denying it?” Kimm returned with a devilish stare as she shifted just slightly on the edge of the bed, legs noticeably spreading further apart. She brought a hand up to hold Nick’s hand in place upon her breast.

“Honestly?” Nick countered, brow cocking from the sparks of delight that awoke in him. “I’m not used to admitting this, but...yeah, you did. You were fucking great.”

“Hmmm…” Kimm hummed before leaning down to capture his lips with her own. As her tongue swiped out to explore his mouth in an undulating dance, she smoothed her hand slowly down his chest until she reached the firm outline of his already erect length tenting beneath the layers of blankets covering his lower half. She gripped him, taking notice of the pleasure that washed over his face. “Is that what you’re thinking about right now? How good it was?”

Nick exhaled a sharp breath. “...Maybe?”

“Maybe?” Kimm repeated, fingers flexing against him. She nipped at Nick’s bottom lip. “Who’s the tease now?”

Swiftly and without warning, Nick hooked his arm around Kimm’s waist and yanked her down onto the bed before tossing the blankets away from himself and leaning over her as she released a soft laugh of surprise. “I’ll show you what a fucking tease is all about,” he told her with a firm stare and tone dripping with want and need. His hand dipped between her legs to find her warm center. “Don’t forget, you’re in  **_my_ ** house. I may have let you have your fun last night, but now it’s my turn.”

A shallow gasp of delight left Kimm’s lips from the sensation of Nick’s finger slowly sliding into her moist folds. The corners of her mouth curled upward, lips remaining open with bated breath. “Is that what you call teasing?”

Nick slid a second finger into Kimm’s opening, right alongside the first and knew he was on the right track when she squirmed under his touch. “Trust me, sweetheart, you have no fucking idea,” he muttered and nipped roughly on her bottom lip as he moved his fingers deliberately slow in and out of her, only adding a third when she released a moan of delight. “You’re gonna be screaming by the time I’m done with you.”

“Mmmmm…” Kimm moaned, her hips rolling to meet the motion of Nick’s fingers moving into her.

“You like that, huh?” Nick chuckled at her, watching the mixture of emotion and pleasure that washed over the woman’s face in waves as he continued to slide his fingers in and then out, slowing and then quickening, before slowing once again. Bringing his thumb to her swollen nub, Nick began to massage it in a circular pattern, his mouth lowering to one of Kimm’s ample breasts, taking her perky nipple between his lips and nipping.

Kimm released what sounded like a mix between a gasp and a moan, only to arch her chest up as Nick suckled expertly upon her breast. Flutters of sensation began to pool in the pit of her stomach, a delightful pressure she craved as he continued to work her with his hand. “Oh, fuck…”

Nick lifted his head, stilling his fingers within Kimm’s warmth. “So fucking wet and willing,” he told her, thumb massaging her nub in an agonizingly slow manner until the point that she was practically writhing beneath his touch. “You realize what that’s doing to me right now?”

“Nick…” Kimm moaned again, pressing her head back against the mound of pillows with shallow, panting breath. “Fuck me.”

“Not yet,” Nick countered with a devilish grin before removing his moistened fingers from Kimm’s entrance. “I’m the one calling the shots. Now move your slutty ass to the end of the bed.”

There wasn’t a moment of hesitation wasted as Kimm did what she was told, scooting haphazardly to the foot of the bed with uneven puffs of breath. Easing himself off the bed and onto his feet, Nick watched, pleased, as Kimm brought a shaking hand between her legs, whimpering from the lack of attention that Nick had been giving her. A groan made its way up his throat, his now throbbing cock standing erect. Nick was half tempted to stand there watching as Kimm pleasured herself and even his hand made its way to the base of his thick shaft for a tender stroke, knowing it wouldn’t take much for him to find his own release the longer he stood there with his eyes glued upon the lust inducing sight of her naked body.

Growling under his breath, Nick lowered himself to his knees at the foot of the bed and roughly reached out to tug Kimm closer so that her legs draped over his shoulders. He smoothed his hands up her firm stomach, eyes focusing on her glistening opening before dipping his head in to drag the tip of his tongue along the slit of her folds. Hearing the way Kimm moaned in satisfaction only caused Nick to explore her further until he was alternating between using his tongue to swipe in and out of her opening and swirling the tip of it against her throbbing nub, even as he brought one of his hands down to grip the base of his shaft in an attempt to hold his growing release at bay.

“Oh shit, Nick,” Kimm began to moan louder, panting breaths leaving her lungs harder as her hands gripped the sheet beneath her. She dug the heels of her feet against Nick’s back, releasing a whine of desperate need. “Please, don’t stop. Shit, it feels so good.”

A sudden curse flew past Nick’s lips when the folds of Kimm’s opening contracted against his mouth and tongue, triggering a wave of pleasure so intense to surge into his groin, that it threatened his own release before he was ready to reach that point. Pulling back from Kimm with a face reddened with heat, Nick stumbled upward into a standing position, his hand immediately stroking his aching length in a delicate manner. “Get on your fucking knees,  **_now_ ** ,” he demanded.

Kimm lifted her head just enough to look at Nick in question, but didn’t have a chance to voice whatever it was she was thinking at that moment because he roughly pushed her to flip onto her stomach where she scrambled to position herself on her hands and knees with a giggle. “Has anyone ever told you how hot you are when you’re being demanding-”

Nick shoved his hard length into Kimm so roughly from behind that her voice cut short with a gasp of surprise. He curled his fingers to tangle in her silken locks of strawberry-blonde hair, yanking her head back as he started an almost angry thrusting rhythm, forcing her eyes to meet his. “You like being fucked hard from behind, just like a little whore,” he growled at her, keeping her head held firmly in place.

“Nick, please,” Kimm whimpered, lips remaining parted with each heavy breath. “Harder-”

Bringing a hand up to cup it against Kimm’s throat, Nick cursed sharply at the way the pleasure intensified and quickened his thrusts, aching for a much needed release that would without a doubt leave him satisfied. “Such a dirty little whore,” he grunted, ignoring the way the headboard began to slam against the wall with each calculated thrust he delivered. Nick flexed his hand against Kimm’s throat, tightening his grip. “I wanna hear how much of a whore you really are, Kimm.”

“Fuck, Nick!” Kimm cried out. Choking on her breath beneath the grip of Nick’s hand as her vision swam in and out with the intense waves of pleasure that washed over her entire body from head to toe, a shrill scream of pure ecstasy tore from Kimm’s throat. She began to quake from the onrush of her climax, her screams melting within moans as she pushed hard back against Nick to meet his thrusts, clenching around his shaft.

“So. Fucking. Close,” Nick emphasized each word to coincide with each individual thrust as Kimm clenched around him tightly until he jolted against her with a final movement and stilled, feeling his release spill into her in dizzying waves of euphoria that he readily welcomed. Nick’s hand collided with Kimm’s backside and squeezed before he braced himself against her, his chest heaving as he attempted to regain control of his breath. “Fuck…”

Whimpering softly, Kim pressed her face to the sheet for a moment, her body continuing to lightly quake as it started to come down from her achieved high. When she felt Nick slowly slide his length out of her, she whined from the absence of fullness and rolled just as slowly onto her back to stare up at him, her shaking hands lifting to tenderly massage her breasts. “So damn good.”

Nick’s smirk was smug, allowing himself a moment to watch as Kimm fondled her breasts tauntingly. “That tight little pussy of yours just begs to be fucked,” he told her with a dry chuckle.

Kimm extended her foot out to tickle the tips of her toes against Nick’s flaccid cock with raised brows, gently rubbing the peaks of her nipples between her thumbs and index fingers. “Fuck me again, Nick…”

Groaning from her request, Nick tilted his head back with lips parted, feeling the way her touch caused his length to start hardening once again. “You’re such a tempting tease,” he mustered and brought his hands up to dig his palms against his eyes. “Fuck me for saying this, but I can’t right now. I gotta shower and get to the precinct.”

“What a shame…” Kimm pouted before pushing herself up into an upright position. She winked at him.

Nick’s hand found its way into Kimm’s hair again, gripping and tilting her head back roughly to kiss her. “Tonight. You’re gonna be my whore again.”

“Better be a promise,” she murmured into his mouth, her hand blindly finding his length to stroke him several times from base to tip.

Nick pushed into Kimm’s hand, losing himself for a moment. “Then you better be here tonight when I get back.”

It took all Nick had within himself to pull away from Kimm’s tantalizing touch and when he finally stood beneath the scorching spray of the shower head moments later, he couldn’t help but to work his once again erect length with quick fervent strokes of his hand. The thought of burying himself deep within the woman again that night until she was screaming his name had Nick so unexpectedly flustered and turned on that he had to brace his hand against the shower wall to keep himself upright. His mouth remained open with his silent panting breaths, stroking his shaft roughly until finally he achieved his release, the hot strands of his cum hitting the shower wall before sliding down to wash down the drain.

Nick grinned to himself, standing still until he managed to regain self-control and then took his time to wash away the remaining filth from his body. By the time he turned the shower off and opened the glass door to step out, the master bathroom had become sufficiently filled with thick steam, keeping him warmed to the core. Nick reached for the towel he had left hanging nearby and wrapped it around his waist, a faint groan emitting from his lips from the sensitivity in his groin.

Maybe another quick round before Nick headed into the precinct wasn’t so far out of the question that he couldn’t get it done quickly…

Stepping out of the bathroom amidst a billowing cloud of steam, Nick expected to find Kimm where he had left her upon his bed, only he scowled when he saw that the bed was abandoned with rumpled sheets and blankets as the only evidence that it had ever been used in the first place. Nick tossed the damp towel away from himself and stepped into a pair of boxer briefs just as he heard Kimm’s voice float upwards from downstairs, followed shortly by the familiar sound of his partner’s voice giving the woman a curt reply.

Nick cursed and stumbled quickly out of the room, hurrying down the stairs along the trail of their discarded clothing from the night before. Stepping foot off the bottom of the staircase into the foyer, Nick was dismayed to see Kimm standing at the open front doorway, barely clothed in his t-shirt from the previous day while Brian stood on the other side, staring back at her with uncontained contempt. Hurrying over to them, Nick yanked Kimm away from the doorway, ignoring the way she giggled in amusement as he blocked her from view.

“Fuck, Brian, what are you doing here this early in the morning?” he chuckled nervously, bracing his hand against the doorframe.

If Brian was feeling an ounce of amusement, it didn’t appear to show on his face. Instead, he kept his arms firmly crossed over his chest and stared back at his partner, unblinking. “It’s nearly eleven,” he responded dully in return.

“Really?” Nick chuckled again, his typical smirk resurfacing when Kimm pressed against his backside. “You don’t say…”

Brian continued to take notice of the woman’s intrusion from behind Nick, his stare impatient. “Keeping your whores around longer these days, Nicky?” he questioned, brow raising.

Nick glowered at Brian, nudging Kimm away from him with a swift swat to her bare ass beneath the t-shirt. “Give us a moment, would ya?” he requested.

Waiting until the woman had disappeared in the direction of the kitchen, Brian shook his head and chuckled darkly. “What’s her name this time? Or did you forget to bother asking her for it?”

“ **_Actually_ ** ,” Nick stressed in annoyance, hard line creasing on his forehead. “Her name is Kimm, with two “m”s. Pretty exotic, right? And she’s hot as Hell. You should see the big ass and tits she has on her. Would rock your boring-ass world from here to Sunday.” He paused, his expression arrogant. ”By the way...did you manage to take care of that little problem in your pants that you left the club with last night?”

“Funny,” Brian gruffed and squared his shoulders. Feeling the heat creep into his cheeks, he made sure to keep his stare steady to prevent Nick from deriving any further satisfaction due to his disconcerting predicament from the night before. “You reek like sex and a liquor store. I swear you’re like a walking talking poster child for every STD known to man.”

“It’s been a wild night,” Nick shrugged dismissively. “And a wild morning. In fact, I was about to go round two until you decided to show up and be a cock-blocker. Thanks, asshole.”

“Listen, playtime is over,” Brian told him pointedly. “Send your play toy home and put your big boy pants on because it’s time to go to work.”

“Why are you so damn cranky today?” Nick scowled, finally mimicking his partner by crossing his arms over his chest. “So you got a hard on from some random stripper at a nightclub last night. Big fucking deal. You could use a little more excitement in your life.”

Brian glanced at his watch, ignoring Nick’s sarcastic quip. “Results are in from forensics about the bullet and blood samples we submitted. Get dressed, Nick. You’ve got five minutes before I leave you here.”

“Who the Hell died and made you boss?” Nick called after him when Brian turned and began to make his way back to where he had left his car idling in the driveway. “Dick.”

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

“You forgot…”

Brian exhaled a soft sigh through his nose as he paced absently inside the briefing room at the precinct. Keeping his cellphone pressed to his ear as his wife’s sigh of disappointment matched his, he reached a hand up to rub at his forehead, hoping to nurse the dull migraine that was beginning to form. “You spoke to Baylee,” he mumbled.

“I called him this morning,” Leighanne relented. “He said you never showed up to Sophie’s yesterday.”

Sighing again, Brian leaned against the edge of the conference table, eying the floor in frustration. “He’s pretty upset,” he admitted with a nod to himself. “He’s not talking to me right now.”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few moments before Leighanne spoke again. “You promised him you would be there and then you didn’t show,” she told him and Brian had a hard time discerning whether she was simply speaking the obvious or was just as disappointed in him as their teenaged son was. “He has a right to be upset, Brian.”

“I know, I know…” Brian agreed, his frown deepening. He glanced towards the doorway, expecting his partner to burst through obnoxiously at any moment, considering his younger counterpart had quickly disappeared the moment they arrived at the precinct, promising only to join back up once he had retrieved the results they were waiting for from forensics. “I’ll make it up to him.”

“Babe, what is going on with you?” Leighanne asked him, the concern in her voice clearly evident. “You’re not acting like yourself. Is Nick causing you trouble again?”

Brian shook his head sharply, feeling an annoyance begin to well within him. “No,” he answered her hastily. “I mean, sure...Nick is Nick. He’s a pain, but he’s Nick.”

“You need to stop letting him weigh you down,” Leighanne countered as a matter of fact. “You just don’t seem to see it. Brian, you spend so much of your time worrying about Nick and taking his weight upon your shoulders, that it’s starting to affect you both mentally and physically. It’s affecting your job and the decisions you make. I know Nick is your brother and you want the best for him, but… Brian, you can’t sacrifice yourself trying to make that happen.”

“You worry about me too much, Leigh,” Brian told her, his shoulders sinking with his statement.

“You don’t worry about yourself enough,” she replied softly. “So someone else has to worry about you instead.”

A faint smile curled at the corner of Brian’s mouth; the sentiment was sweet enough that he could actually picture his wife’s stern stare as she lectured him. Not that she was too far off from the truth and she knew it, too. Of course, it didn’t make him any more willing to think about the fact that Leighanne was right and always managed to call him out about it to the point that he was unable to ignore it.

“I’m sorry…” Brian muttered after moments of silence had been exchanged on both ends of the line. “Guess I’m failing at a lot of things lately.”

“No,” Leighanne chuckled as faint chatter on her end of the line began to filter in from the background. “You just...have the horrible habit of spreading yourself too thin. You have a big heart.”

“Maybe that’s the problem,” he replied. Hearing the door to the briefing room click, Brian looked up from the floor in time to watch as the door opened and Nick stepped inside casually, manila envelope tucked under his arm. Brian nodded in Nick’s direction to greet his partner before returning his attention to the call. “I’ll try talking to Baylee tonight when I get home. But listen, I gotta go. There’s some business here requiring my attention. Call me later?”

“Of course,” Leighanne agreed, chuckling when Nick called out to her obnoxiously from the background on Brian’s end of the line. “Hello, Nick…”

“I love you,” Brian told her, waving Nick off when he tried to snatch the phone from him. He quickly disconnected the call once Leighanne had offered her parting sentiments and shot a glare at his partner. “Do you mind?”

“No, not really,” Nick shrugged nonchalantly. He dropped the manila envelope on the conference table. “The answer to the million dollar question is in that envelope.”

“The million dollar question is who is behind all of this,” Brian corrected him, reaching for the envelope as he set his phone down on the table. “This is just a start.”

Nick plopped down in one of the chairs. “Yeah, well, right now beggars can’t be choosers,” he said, watching as Brian continued to stand there with the envelope grasped firmly in his hand. “...Are you going to open it or not?”

Brian nodded, inhaling deeply. “Yeah,” he muttered, finger slipping under the flap of the envelope.

“But?” Nick pressed, noting his partner’s hesitation. He sat up a little straighter, forehead creasing harshly. “What’s wrong with  **_you_ ** ?”

“Huh?” Brian blinked at him in confusion.

“What’s...wrong...with...you?” Nick repeated slower this time, smirking when Brian scowled at him in return. He rolled his eyes and stood from the chair to take the envelope from Brian. “You’re acting all distracted or some shit. Just so you know, moody you is a fucking buzz kill.”

Brian crossed his arms over his chest, watching his partner handle the envelope. “My kid is pissed at me, thanks to you.”

“ **_Me_ ** ?!” Nick replied indignantly. “What the Hell did  **_I_ ** do?”

“Last night?” Brian reminded him with an irritated glare before turning his back to his partner to look at the whiteboard across from the conference table containing the minimal amount of evidence they had so far accumulated. “I was supposed to attend dinner at Sophie’s.”

“So? You missed dinner at your son’s girlfriend’s house and won’t be getting the perfect Father of the Year award,” Nick scuffed. “Don’t go bitch blaming me for your lapse of parental judgment.”

Brian opened his mouth to offer a sharp retort in return, but never managed to get the words to pass his lips as the door to the briefing room opened once again and he stood to attention at the sight of Captain Halverson entering with a shorter uniformed female officer following close behind. He recognized her immediately as the same officer who had registered him just prior to his interrogation with inmate Eddie Medina, only Brian found himself at loss trying to recall her name or come up with a reason why she would be accompanying their captain that morning.

“Gentlemen,” Captain Halverson greeted with a nod to both detectives. “Are we interrupting?”

“No, sir,” Brian answered. “We were just about to go over the results from forensics regarding the bullet and blood samples we’d submitted.” He eyed the officer wearily, brows slowly raising in question. “Is there a problem we should know about?”

“No, no problem,” Captain Halverson countered with a glance at the officer. “I know Littrell here is already familiar, but for Carter’s sake...this is Officer Jillian Pfeifer. Normally Officer Pfeifer works patrol on a rotational basis and has just returned to active duty after light work due to medical leave. However, Officer Pfeifer has expressed keen interest in stepping away from patrol and joining our detective force and considering we can benefit from all the man power we can get on this case, I am in full support of the idea of bringing her on board to shadow and assist in your investigation.”

“Officer Pfeifer,” Brian nodded in agreement, extending his hand in her direction. He was pleasantly surprised when she gripped his hand firmly. “Glad to have you on board.”

Jillian released his hand and turned her attention to Nick. “Detective Carter, it’s an honor to be working with you guys.”

Nick turned his nose up at Jillian’s outstretched hand. “We don’t have time for babysitting,” he told her stiffly. Catching sight of Captain Halverson’s glare of disapproval, Nick forced his expression to become serious, focusing on his superior. “I mean no disrespect, sir. Just saying we carry our weight and expect the same of everyone else working alongside us on this case. This won’t be a walk in the park.”

“With all due respect, Carter, you are far from someone who should be giving a lecture about carrying their weight on a case,” Captain Halverson told him without providing room for argument on Nick’s part. When it was clear the flustered detective wasn’t going to respond, the captain focused his attention between Brian and Officer Pfeifer. “Go ahead with an update, Littrell. Let's catch Officer Pfeifer here up to speed.”

“Right. Um, so…” Brian took the envelope containing the forensics results back from Nick and opened it as he spoke, stepping over to the white board. “Right now one of our top priorities is establishing some solid connections to our victim, Luca Giacomo.” He tapped the victim’s profile picture that was attached to the whiteboard and motioned to the picture next to it of Samuel Maddox. “First known connection is Samuel Maddox. So far proven unable to locate. Not the most impressive records either, less than colorful, but…”

“Results from forensics?” Captain Halverson interjected, stepping up beside Brian with his arms crossed over his chest to study the white board.

Brian opened the envelope and reached inside to retrieve the several sheets of paper it contained. Scanning over the printed writing on each sheet, he nodded to himself. “Forensics determined that both the bullet and blood samples submitted are a match for our victim,” he explained before relinquishing the papers over to the captain. “Cause for speculation to establish the location where our victim’s murder took place. At least we got that.”

“Now we can trace the origin of the bullet, get a purchase history and potential lead on a perpetrator,” Jillian offered, joining her superiors at the white board. “What about common ground between our victim and his connection with Samuel Maddox?”

“Club Kaos,” Nick interceded the conversation before Brian could get a chance to answer. “Both known to frequent the establishment. That’s as far as that connection goes.”

“As far as we understand it at this point,” Brian added. He took the sheets of paper back from the captain and returned them to the manila envelope to later place them with Luca Giacomo’s file. “I think we need to start diving into the history of the club, looking into who is working behind the scenes, start speaking with the employees.”

Captain Halverson nodded his head in approval. “Use whatever resources you need to. Keep me updated.” He glanced in Nick’s direction. “I trust you will treat Officer Pfeifer appropriately and consider her part of your team from this point forward.”

Nick saluted the captain. “You worry too much. It’s not good for your health, sir.”

“I expect another update soon,” Captain Halverson stated as he squared his shoulders. “Detectives. Officer. Get to work.”

Brian waited until the captain had left the briefing room before refocusing his attention between his partner and Officer Pfeifer. He eyed Nick wearily, taking notice of the way his counterpart appeared to almost be seething at the thought that Officer Pfeifer had been introduced to shadow and assist in their case. “Nick?”

“ **_What_ ** ?” Nick snapped in return, shifting his eyes hastily to his partner.

Brian gave him a stiff glare of warning as he offered the manila envelope to him. “How about you go ahead and start looking into a possible paper trail on the origin of the bullet while I get Officer Pfeifer completely caught up.”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll do that,” Nick muttered, the envelope crinkling in his grasp. “Have fun babysitting.”

Jillian cocked her head to the side as Nick left the briefing room in a huff. “Is he always this happy?” she chuckled sarcastically.

Brian sighed, eying the officer sideways. “If only you knew…”

“Well…” Jillian offered him a tight smile as she straightened her posture. “Good news for you, Detective. I don’t need a babysitter. I carry my own very well.”

“Nick will be relieved to know,” Brian chuckled. He motioned to the doorway, hand poised with palm up. “Follow me to my office. I’ll get you caught up.”

◾️◾️◾️◾️◾️

Feeling the flow of irritation coursing through his veins, it didn’t phase the Boss nor cause him to falter in his steps when he slammed the door open to the private recreational room down below the booming club that served both as an obnoxiously large office and a space reserved for his own pleasure and those few of his choosing from within his inner circle. That night, it annoyed him beyond measure to enter the room and see Diego, Jax, and Elias already there, along with several others who normally wouldn’t have been permitted into the room considering the mood he was in. Elias looked up from the game of Billiards he was involved in with Jax and opened his mouth to deliver a smart quip, but it took one seething glance from the Boss to shut the other man up.

His patience was fleeting and his anger explosive and had become worse as the day wore on, enough that he wouldn’t have even given it a second thought to have heads roll if someone--he didn’t rightfully care who--crossed his path wrong. As it was, with the whole new array of problems that had surfaced regarding the intel that the authorities were starting to survey the club’s business, the Boss was specifically looking to place the blame. He wanted someone to bleed and he wanted to make an example out of whoever was deserving of the consequences, whoever the Hell had become so lazy and threatened what he had built, because obviously Maddox couldn’t be the only one to blame for bringing Luca Giacomo in.

That damn Giacomo sonofabitch had only been the tip of the iceberg, or so it seemed. Maddox had been guilty by association and the bullet the Boss had put in his head had been well deserved for bringing in such an untrustworthy little rat that proved to make his life more of a living Hell than it already was. Now it was apparent that the authorities had discovered the murder scene and found one of the bullets that had been used to end Giacomo’s life, which meant he was about to have a cluster fuck of messes to fix if he wanted to continue to fly under the radar.

Yes, heads were definitely going to roll.

“Get the fuck out!” the Boss shouted at the group of three unknowns who were scattered sporadically around the room, one catching his glare of hatred and wincing in response. When not one of them made a movement towards the still open doorway, the Boss’ eyes turned darker, murderous even. “I said get the fuck out!”

“You heard him,” Diego gruffed towards the men, squaring his shoulders from where he sat on one of the black leather couches across the room. He set the Glock he was cleaning onto the coffee table in front of him and nodded sharply with his head towards the doorway to usher the men out of the room. “Rough night, Boss?”

The Boss slammed the door shut as the last of the three men filed out. “What the fuck were they doing in here?” he demanded.

Elias carefully set his pool cue on the green felt of the table to signal to Jax that their game had concluded. “That was Jesse, Silas, and Vinny,” he answered him, holding his hands up in defense. “You requested they be here tonight.”

For a moment, the Boss’ eyes narrowed in contempt and for a brief flash of uncertainty, he appeared as if he may attack. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the venom in his demeanor dissipated and he shook his head dismissively. “Changed my mind,” he simply muttered.

A thick tension-filled silence fell over the room, save for the pulsating waves of the bass in the club above. Diego, Jax, and Elias exchanged questioning glances between the three of them, but it wasn’t until the Boss stormed past them over to the fully stocked bar across the room that Diego gathered enough courage to speak up for all of them.

“So...I guess there’s some real shit going down because of Giacomo?” he mentioned, reaching for the Glock on the table to resume cleaning it. “Noticed a couple cops circling the block earlier.”

A scowl formed on the Boss’ face as Diego spoke. He grabbed the closest bottle of liquor without looking to see what it was and hastily poured some of it into a short glass.

“You don’t know the half of it,” he hissed in annoyance before bringing the rim of the glass to his lips for a disgruntled sip. The Boss whipped back around to face them, nearly a minute passing to assure he held their attention. “You lazy sonsofbitches are once again causing me a whole cluster fuck of problems. One fucking crayon short of a Crayola box.”

Jax slid onto a chair backwards. “Maybe it’s time we clean house,” he suggested. “Get rid of the liabilities.”

The Boss sneered at him in return. “Like  **_you_ ** ?”

“Hold up, that is  **_not_ ** what I meant,” Jax stuttered with a tight shake of his head.

“I’d watch your mouth then, if I were you,” the Boss dismissed him before crossing the floor to his desk. Dropping into the padded chair behind it, he yanked open a drawer and lifted a small box out, opening it as well and retrieving a small mirror, a razor blade, and a small bag containing a white powdery substance. “If you fucktards would actually listen for once, I wouldn’t have to keep repeating myself! What part do you assholes  **_not_ ** understand?”

Diego held the Glock up into the glare of the light from overhead, studying it for any imperfections. “Say the word and I’ll put a cap in whatever or whoever is causing the problems.”

“Calm your trigger happy ass down,” the Boss snapped at him. Tapping a bit of the white powdery substance onto the mirror, he proceeded to use the razor blade to work it into several thin lines. “I don’t trust a damn one of you motherfuckers right now, not with the shit that’s going down. Intel has the authorities focusing on Club Kaos and that is the  **_last_ ** thing I need to be worrying about at the moment.”

Elias crossed his arms over his chest, his expression gruff to match his brawny exterior. “They haven’t tried to infiltrate the operations. So we keep doing what we’re doing and-”

“ **_Yet_ ** ,” the Boss interrupted him before he leaned down and quickly inhaled a line of the substance through his nose. Rubbing at his nostril, he glared at Elias. “They haven’t  **_yet_ ** , but it’s only a matter of time before they do. And if you and all those pissants working beneath you keep fucking shit up, they’re gonna find exactly what they’re looking for. You know what that means?” The Boss shifted his gaze between the three men, his irritation elevating. “It means you’re dead! All of you! Do you hear me? Because I will kill every single last one of you for fucking this up!”

For several minutes, the Boss’ explosive nature commanded the silence that consumed the room and he focused on the remaining two lines of substance on the mirror. Inhaling them both sharply and quickly, he leaned back in the padded chair heavily, taking enjoyment from the sensation of the drugs coursing through his system. The high took the edge off of whatever he had been feeling when he first entered the room, but it didn’t stop him from considering going on a rampage just for the Hell of it to teach his three closest confidants a lesson.

“The cartel down in Mexico is pressuring for reciprocation,” he continued a moment later, lifting his feet to prop them on top of the desk. “If they catch wind that we’ve got the authorities buzzing up our ass, they won’t just pull out and cause us to lose our south of the border source. They’ll come calling for retribution and trust me when I say it won’t be a call any of you will want to answer. I won’t go down for your stupidity. You’ll be on your own. So, I want this fucking mess cleaned up. Do I make myself clear?”

Diego cocked and then un-cocked the Glock, turning it over one way and then the other. “Consider it taken care of,” he answered.

Muttering under his breath, the Boss reached into his pocket and withdrew his phone, ignoring the stares that were upon him as he carelessly connected a call and brought the device up to his ear. “Bring in the whore. Keep her quiet,” he instructed when it became apparent the call had been answered. “And make sure she’s not seen.”

The call was disconnected without further word. Returning the phone to his pocket, the Boss flit his almost glazed gaze from Jax to Elias and finally to Diego, then rubbed his hands tiredly over his face. “We’re about to have some fun, gentlemen,” he grunted, his feet landing on the floor as he sat up straighter. He downed the rest of the liquor in his glass. “I’ve got a treat for you boys tonight.”

Noone dared to make a move as the Boss stood from behind the desk to make his way back over to the nearby bar and refill his empty glass. He did so wordlessly and damn near silently if it wasn’t for the clinking of glass against glass. Minutes more passed and just as he turned once again, the door to the room opened, elevating the volume of the bass-heavy music from above.

The Boss watched, pleased, as two of his familiar men entered the room, dragging in a naked and obviously distressed petite woman. Her hands were bound at the wrists with thick cabling that had begun to dig into her delicate creamy olive-toned skin, while a gag was obstructing her mouth to prevent her from screaming and a blindfold securely placed over her eyes. Though the sound was muffled, he could hear the way she whimpered, barely able to remain upright as the men tugged her forward. Satisfied with her disheveled appearance, the Boss nodded for the men to secure the woman’s bound hands to a chain that was hanging from a bar above.

“Leave,” the Boss demanded sharply once the men had the woman’s hands secured to the chain above her head. Paying no attention as they retreated to leave the room, he inched his way over to the woman as she whimpered again, her legs slightly quaking as if threatening to give out from beneath her. His hand extended to grip her chin roughly, keeping her head from dipping towards her chest. “Lucia...Lucia...Lucia…”

She trembled under the Boss’ touch, attempting to move away from his grasp, though it was of little use. It amused him to see the way she tried to curl in on herself and even without being able to see her eyes, the Boss could sense Lucia’s raw fear, could see it in the way she stiffened. And, admiring the effect of fear he was able to have over her, he kept her chin firmly grasped in his hand.

“Now, now, Lucia...let’s not be rude in front of company,” he told her, his smirk of delight dripping from his voice. The Boss’ thumb brushed over her plump bottom lip, grazing a healing cut that had occurred during a brief struggle when Lucia had awoken as he’d brought her to the depths below the club. His fist had quickly ended the woman’s terror-filled struggle against her plight and after ripping her clothes from her body and admiring her figure with just a touch to satisfy himself until later, he hadn’t laid eyes on her since. Now, though, the Boss found himself staring at Lucia with a carnal desire so strong, that he temporarily forgot about the three sets of eyes watching them with curiosity. “Such a pretty little whore,” he murmured, hand smoothing down Lucia’s chest to cup one of her breasts. “I can see what Luca enjoyed about you.”

Smirking to himself, the Boss circled around Lucia until he was standing close behind her, close enough that he was able to lean in and nip at her bare shoulder. “Enjoy what you see, gentlemen?” he spoke with a chuckle. The sound was reciprocated, but he paid it little attention. “Take a good look at what Luca left behind.”

Without warning, the Boss reached up to yank the blindfold away from Lucia’s eyes and held her head in place so that her line of sight was forced in the direction of the three men opposite of them. “You see them?” he inquired with a taunting chuckle. “I won’t bother telling you their names. It won’t matter much; you mean nothing to them. They’ll have fun. Of course, they’re gonna have to wait their turn.”

Lucia’s body visibly continued to shake as she clenched her eyes shut, a single tear of her distress sliding down her cheek. The Boss took notice as he pressed up behind her, wrapping an arm around her abdomen to hold her in place. “Oh, Lucia...what’s wrong?” he taunted, dipping his head in to nip once again at her shoulder. “You must be wishing that bastard you called a husband would swoop in and save you. But remember...he’s dead. I killed him. Put a couple bullets straight through that idiot head of his. Waste of good ammunition, if you ask me. But...necessary.”

The Boss’ other hand snaked around Lucia’s front, slithering downward until his fingers found the warmth between her legs. “Hmmm...or maybe it’s that piece of shit detective you‘ve been talking to, the one you’re so hung up on,” he continued, smirking smugly when the touch of his fingers caused the woman to release a muffled sob. “Do you  **_honestly_ ** believe he gives a shit about you? Your own husband didn’t even care about you.  **_Nobody_ ** cares about you, Lucia. You’re gonna come to understand that by the time I’m done with you. I own you now. You’re gonna pay for Luca’s mistakes.”

He slid several fingers into her moist folds roughly, causing another sob to tear from Lucia’s throat. “That’s right,” he chuckled. “Good little whore that you are. That’s all you’re good for.”

Gradually, the Boss slowly removed his fingers from the woman’s warmth and took a step back from her, admiring the sight of her backside as he reached to cup a hand against the strain in his crotch. He haphazardly reached a hand into his pocket to pull out his phone and connected a call, hastily bringing it to his ear. “Find Heather and tell her to meet me upstairs,” he grunted as the call was answered. Ending the call, he looked over Lucia at Jax, Elias and Diego. “Enjoy Luca’s whore.”

With that, the Boss turned, crossed the flooring, and slammed out of the room.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The precinct was all but empty by the time Brian stepped foot off the elevator, his steps determined and his attention distracted. The predawn sky had just begun to lighten near the horizon when he had dragged himself out of the house to embark on the familiar route he knew about as well as he knew the back of his hand, mostly for the fact that his night in bed had been restless and he’d barely slept more than two hours collectively. Although, feeling worse for wear as he was, Brian couldn’t tell that he had managed any sleep at all. Leighanne wasn’t due to fly home from Seattle until later that day and Baylee still wasn’t speaking to him, despite his efforts to make amends for missing dinner at Sophie’s house. So, being home was the  **_last_ ** place Brian cared to be at at that moment in time.

It was going to be a very long day.

Reaching his office, Brian effortlessly slid the key into the lock, opening the door and reaching inside to switch the light on before gaining entry. He frowned at the sight of the state of disarray his desk was in. Generally, he was well known for his organizational skills, but it seemed lately he had either abandoned that skill set or simply just thrown it out the window with the way the clutter of papers were spread haphazardly over the entire surface area of his desk. All of it was papers pertaining to the Giacomo case, which had managed to successfully consume his every waking thought. Truth be told, Brian had always taken a passionate interest in each case he worked--perhaps part of the reason his track record was well respected with a reputation that preceded him--but this...this felt different. It had since Captain Halverson and Chief Rinard had put him and Nick in charge of the investigation. And as more time passed, the more his obsession intensified and the less room he had left over for any aspect of his life outside of his work.

It was wearing on Brian and he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled in the back of his mind the deeper he dug. Granted, it wasn’t the first time a case had had a significant impact upon him, but he was used to being able to successfully detach at some point, to reach that state of being when, as his fellow detectives referred to it, autopilot kicked in. It was a necessary way of thinking and acting to be successful at the job, because getting too attached often proved dangerous. And yet, that was exactly the path Brian was heading down and he’d be damned if he couldn’t figure out why…

And then, of course, Nick was continuing to prove to be the biggest obstacle of them all. Brian just couldn’t quite shake the feeling that Nick’s recent show of apology had been nothing more than a half-hearted attempt to appease him for the time being, to get him off his back and to divert the disapproving attention of their superiors away from him. It didn’t help that Brian had managed to enable his partner once again by throwing water to put out the fire, just to keep the guy around. For what reason? Brian wasn’t even sure anymore.

Sinking into the padding of the chair at his desk, Brian released a heavy sigh and began to gather some of the paperwork that was spread sporadically across the desktop. Notes he himself had jotted down were mixed with the papers from the printout of Luca Giacomo’s record. Samuel Maddox’s file had somehow become mixed in with the mess as well, although Brian never even remembered bringing either file from the briefing room to his office. Underneath the sheets of paper, he found a small torn piece of paper he’d scrawled a quick messy note on --  _ ‘Dinner at Sophie’s. DON’T FORGET!!!’ _ A lot of good that had done, obviously. Brian crinkled it up and dropped it into the trash bin beside his desk.

“You look like you could use some breakfast and a strong cup of coffee.”

The voice along with the knock on the doorframe was quick to grab Brian’s attention away from what he was doing. He looked over to find Officer Jillian Pfeifer standing in the doorway, drink tray in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other. Offering her as kind of a smile as he could muster, Brian waved her into the room. “You’re here early.”

“Sleep and I are on the outs,” Jillian returned with a simple shrug as she stepped into the room. She placed the bag and drink tray onto Brian’s desk, careful not to set the items on any of the papers. “I hope you’re not expecting gourmet either. I don’t cook. Mother said about the only cooking I could do was burn a pot of water. Not much open at this hour either,” she huffed with a chuckle before taking one of the coffees from the drink tray and dropping into one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. “ **_But_ ** ,” she continued once she was settled, “It just so happens to be the best coffee and donuts in town. Of course I’m a little biased. My brother owns the joint. Oh well, toh-may-toh toh-mah-toh.”

“Coffee and donuts?” Brian questioned, his brows lifting in amusement. “If ever there were a stereotypical joke somewhere between the lines, this has got to be it.”

Jillian smirked against the rim of her coffee cup, inhaling the scent of her favorite strong dark roast. Her brother had had it imported specifically for her. “Inside joke for us on patrol. C’mon, Detective, certainly you remember. How long has it been?”

Brian chuckled, opening the bag to peek inside. “It’s been a minute,” he relented, reaching in to pull out a jelly-filled powdered donut. “I admit I’ve consumed my fair share in the past. Night patrol has a habit of doing that to you.”

“Mmm, yes,” Jillian agreed as she swallowed a careful sip of the scalding coffee.

Brian hesitated for a moment before eventually returning the donut to the bag, offering Jillian an apologetic smile. “Would you be horribly offended if I took a rain check on the pastry until later?”

Jillian waved him off. “Trust me, no offense taken. I was just going to bring you a coffee, but Chris insisted. He knows I have a sweet tooth and can’t say no. I indulged on the way over here though.”

“Chris…?” Brian inquired, reaching for his own coffee.

“My brother,” Jill answered him. “Younger brother. A coffee aficionado, hence the coffee shop that he owns and practically lives at half the time. General pain in my ass, but we’re close. Couldn’t imagine my life without him. What can I say...family, right?”

“Can’t live with them, can’t live without them,” Brian nodded with a quiet chuckle and brought the cup up to his mouth. His eyes widened with pleasant surprise as a myriad of rich flavors flowed through his mouth. He swallowed, setting the cup on his desk. “Remind me to thank your brother if he and I ever cross paths.”

“I’ll let him know,” Jillian said, studying Brian from across the desk with her head tilt slightly to the side. “What about you, Detective? Any siblings?”

“Two brothers,” Brian offered in return, gathering more of the papers to achieve some semblance of organization. “An older brother, Harry, who still lives in Lexington, Kentucky where we grew up and...well, you’ve already met Nick, so…”

Jillian sat up a little straighter, her expression mirroring confusion. “Wait, Detective Carter is your  **_brother_ ** ?”

“Adopted, kind of, it’s...a long story…” Brian trailed, extending his hand to turn his computer on. When he looked to Jillian again and found her staring back at him, waiting for him to continue with an explanation, he pursed his lips together and exhaled a breath through his nose. “I’ve known Nick most his life, since he was...five years old? Gosh, it was so long ago, it’s easy to forget.”

“You grew up together,” Jillian commented curiously.

“You could say that,” Brian replied with a firm nod. “Nick moved to my neighborhood the summer of the year I turned ten. So yeah, that would have made him five at the time.”

“That doesn’t explain how he ended up with your family,” Jillian pressed as she nursed her coffee. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be so nosy. It’s really none of my business.”

“No, it’s-” Brian paused mid-thought, an almost regretful frown appearing on his face. “It’s just that Nick didn’t exactly have a good home life when he first arrived. His father was an abusive drunk who was barely around and his mother was an addict and alcoholic who detached herself from reality and neglected Nick and his siblings. I don’t honestly remember how or why Nick started spending time at our house. None of his siblings did; it was just him. But...they eventually got taken away and placed into the foster care system. Nick got placed with us due to the fact that it was already a familiar safe place for him, my parents were certified foster parents at the time and they personally knew Nick’s case worker. It was just before his seventh birthday that his parents signed away their rights and he became eligible for adoption. My parents didn’t even think twice. They would have petitioned to adopt Nick’s siblings as well, but they were taken in together by a well to do family who couldn’t have children who eventually adopted them.”

Jillian offered him a faint smile. “Your parents...they sound like good folk.”

Brian’s smile was honest as he nodded thoughtfully. “They are,” he murmured. “They always have been, too. Religious, Southern Baptist. Firm morals. A heart for their family and their community. We were middle class, but they never let us know it growing up. We always had everything we needed. More than, even. It was just...I don’t know, I had a happy childhood.”

“That’s more than some can say, Detective,” Jillian conceded, tapping absentmindedly at the lid on her coffee cup. She returned a glance of gratitude to the detective. “It sounds like Nick was and still is very lucky to have been brought into your family. I’m glad he had you and your brother to grow up with. It’s a shame he was separated from his siblings, though.”

“He found them a few years back. They just never really connected and have lost touch again since then,” Brian continued after a moment. He paused before adding, “You know, honestly, I don’t think Nick even cares, as sad as that may sound. He never talks about them. He doesn’t act like it bothers him.”

Jillian leaned forward in the chair. “No offense, Detective, but Detective Carter doesn’t exactly come across as the share and care type.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Brian mused with an inward chuckle. “Nick’s not as bad as he seems, regardless of what he wants everyone to think. At least not below the surface. Above the surface, he has a habit of making life Hell more often than not. Either way, I guess it’s black or white with him. You either like him or you don’t. There’s no gray in between.”

“No gray in between what?” Nick’s voice suddenly cut into the conversation. Brian and Jillian had little time to register the sound as the other Detective walked into the office unexpectedly. Almost as soon as he had entered, Nick caught sight of Jillian sitting in a chair at Brian’s desk and he shifted his irritated stare to his partner. “What is  **_she_ ** doing here?”

_ ‘I could ask you the same’  _ Brian thought to himself about his partner’s unusual early arrival. He made sure his eyes reflected a warning for Nick to proceed carefully with whatever he might consider saying about the officer. “Officer Pfeifer is here to assist with the Giacomo case. Remember?”

Nick made no effort to hide the way his upper lip curled in a silent snarl of displeasure. “Right,” he gruffed, arms crossing over his chest. “I was hoping Halverson realized he had a lapse in judgment. Whatever. Is the rookie up to speed? We don’t have time to wait around for her to put her big girl panties on.”

“One, I’m not a rookie,” Jillian interjected, her expression stoic. “And two, I’m right here. So I can hear you loud and clear, Detective. Which, might I say, is utterly amazing considering how far you have your head shoved up your own ass.”

Disgruntled, Nick sharply looked to his partner, only to be dismayed when Brian shrugged at him in return. His scowl deepened as he returned his attention to the officer. “You’re not one of us and this isn’t play time,” he snarled. “So don’t get any ideas.”

Brian fought a chuckle towards Nick’s flustered state when Jillian smirked. “Let it go, Nick,” he told him before his counterpart could snap back. “We need all the help we can get right now.”

At first, Nick looked as if he were going to argue Brian’s statement to the contrary, but then he offered a sickeningly sweet smile at the officer and snatched the donut bag off Brian’s desk without knowing what it was. “What’d you bring me, dude?”

“Officer Pfeifer brought donuts,” Brian dismissed him and turned his attention to the computer screen.

“Officer Pfeifer brought donuts,” Nick mocked him under his breath and tore into the bag. He yanked a powdered donut out. “Officer Pfeifer is just so cool. Officer Pfeifer wants to play dress up and be a detective. Officer Pfeifer is my new best friend.”

Jillian rolled her eyes. “Still right here…”

Nick snorted at her, mouth full of donut. “Watch me give no fucks-”

“Hold that thought,” Brian interrupted distractedly, his attention glued to the screen of the computer monitor. “Results are in from forensics on the origin tracing of the bullets from our victim.” Glancing at his watch to check the time, he opened the internet browser and quickly tapped his fingers against the keyboard, performing a search for information on the gun shop the bullets were traced to. “Little firearm and ammunition shop on the lower west side. It opens in half an hour.”

Jillian began to rise to her feet. “Fine time to take a drive,” she suggested.

“Slow your roll, speed racer,” Nick gruffed and brought a powder coated hand down onto the dark material of the uniform covering Jillian’s shoulder, causing her to flop haphazardly back onto the chair. “You don’t call the shots around here. We do. Do I make myself clear?”

Jillian narrowed her eyes towards Nick’s hand still clamped upon her shoulder, internally irritated at the idea of the powdery handprint marking her uniform. “Crystal,” she answered through gritted teeth with a tight smile.

Nick pat her shoulder, smirking at the mark he left behind. “Know your place, boot,” he taunted and glanced at Brian, only to withdraw his hand when he took note of his partner’s glare of disapproval. “For fuck’s sake, Brian, I’m joking. Officer Pfeifer here knows that.”

Huffing under her breath, Jillian brushed at the powdery residue that remained on her shoulder. “Don’t quit your day job, Detective Carter.”

Brian pushed his chair back from the desk, rising apprehensively to his feet. “Seriously, Nick, is this going to be a constant problem?” he questioned impatiently.

Nick rolled his eyes and exaggerated a sigh. “I’m fine. It’s fine. You’ve got your granny undies wadded up your ass. Relax.”

“That’s easier said than done when you’re around,” Brian muttered as he pulled his car keys out of his pocket. He eyed Nick wearily, waiting for him to challenge him, and when he didn’t, Brian squared his shoulders, nodding. “That’s what I thought. C’mon, let’s go.”

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️

Riftman Firearms was a small inconspicuous cream-colored single-story sandstone building tucked away from the busy throughway of the lower west side of the city. It was easy to miss within the cluster of other buildings and didn’t exactly appear like the type of place that attracted trouble of any kind. At least that was the initial conclusion Brian came to when he brought his car to a stop in the all but vacant parking lot located behind the building. The lot wasn’t exactly easy to access either.

Allowing the car to sit idling, Brian stared at the back of the building in silent contemplation. Beside him, Nick had his attention glued to the screen of his phone and Jillian sat wordlessly in the backseat, just as she had been doing since they pulled away from the precinct. He was considerably grateful that his partner had chosen to dial down his sarcastic cold nature for the time being, a far better cry than the confrontation that had quickly begun to brew in Brian’s office. Although, it left him wondering just how long it would be before Nick once again began to try to run the ambitious officer off. The other detective’s disdain for having an officer tagging along for their investigation was hardly hidden.

“Nothing in the system as far as violations go,” Nick muttered a while later as the silence continued to accumulate to an almost suffocating depth. He continued to slowly scroll through the information he was reading on his phone. “Fairly new, established within the last couple of years. Nothing in the media. Website sucks ass. My dog could have done a better job.”

“Your dog died,” Brian responded flatly, his forehead creasing with his concentration.

“That’s my point,” Nick scowled at him. “But thanks for reminding me, asshole.”

Brian finally drew his attention to his partner, his eyes void of all amusement. “It’s been five years, Nick. Get over it.”

Nick began to scowl again, but snorted under his breath and shoved his phone back into his pocket, momentarily forgetting they had an audience listening keenly from the backseat. “Aren’t you just a ball of fucking sunshine this morning,” he muttered as he unlatched the seat belt. Shoving the passenger door open. “Are we gonna do this or what? C’mon. You too, boot.”

Jillian remained sitting in place as Nick climbed from the car, slamming the door shut behind him. She leaned forward, patting Brian’s shoulder with a quiet chuckle. “I gotta tell ya, Detective,” she mentioned. “I don’t know how you put up with him.”

“You and me both.” Brian offered the officer a tight smile over his shoulder and killed the engine, pulling the key from the ignition before climbing out of the car. He waited for Jillian to join them and together the three of them made their way wordlessly around to the front of the building where the entrance door was located.

An annoying shrill bell, the old fashioned kind, jingled above as Brian opened the door to step inside. A blast of cool air was a welcomed greeting while Nick filed in behind him, and finally Jillian rounded the end, allowing the door to shut behind them. The main area was a wide open room, set up much like a jewelry store with a L-shaped display case spanning the length of the wall to the left and the far wall across from them. To their right, several tall stand alone display cases stood positioned against the walls, each displaying impressive assortments of different firearms. Set up along the middle of the flooring were another two wide display cases, and as Brian and the other two shuffled past them, he took notice of the collection of Glocks and other pistols on display.

“Something I can help you with, gentlemen? Officer?”

A man of short rounded stature with barely a tuft of salt and pepper hair upon his head had stepped out through the open doorway at the far end of the room and greeted the trio with an untrusting look of apprehension. Brian kept his steps steady as he approached the counter of the display case the man was leaning against, pulling his detective’s badge from his belt clip and holding it up so it was clearly visible for the man to see.

“I’m Detective Brian Littrell. This is my partner, Detective Nick Carter, as well as Officer Jillian Pfeifer,” he explained, waiting as the man scrutinized the badge. When it was obvious the man had accepted the badge and Brian’s statement for what it was, he returned it to his belt clip. “We’re here to ask for a little bit of your time. We have some questions we’re hoping you can answer.”

“I don’t run my business looking for trouble, Detective,” the man answered with uncertainty towards the way the other detective approached the counter. “I follow the law. Have all the required permits. I don’t cause no trouble and I don’t welcome no trouble. I’m not sure how much assistance I could possibly be.”

“You could start by cooperating,” Nick told him stiffly. He leaned against the edge of the counter, looking down at the illuminated revolver directly below the glass of the display case. “A couple of bullets involved in a homicide we are currently investigating have been traced back to this shop.”

The man’s eyes opened a little wider in surprise and it was apparent he hadn’t been expecting to hear such a statement. “What do you mean a homicide?” he stuttered. “I didn’t kill no one.”

Brian caught the way Nick sharply cocked a brow at the man, his mouth opening with a sarcastic retort. He cleared his throat to stop Nick from speaking and placed his phone on the counter, screen reflecting the emailed report from forensics that contained the serial number on the bullets. “The two bullets involved in our homicide case were purchased from this shop, sir,” he explained. “What we need to figure out is  **_who_ ** purchased them. Unless you are the one who purchased the bullets and fired the gun that killed our victim, then you should have nothing to worry about.”

“I, uh…” the man sighed, his visible stress causing creases to form at the corners of his eyes as he stared down at the information on the screen of Brian’s phone. “I’m an honest man, detectives. I just can’t believe-- I run an honest shop,” he continued, running a hand over his head. “Any way I can help, I’ll do it.”

“We need you to look up the purchase history for the specific serial number attached to the bullets,” Brian told him and watched as the man hastily grabbed a pen and a scrap piece of paper to scribble the numbers onto. “Now, if we have to, we’ll get a search warrant issued to garner that information, but I’ll be honest with you, sir. If you make us go that route, it’s gonna tie you and your business up for an unforeseeable amount of time and-”

The man interrupted him, setting the pen down. “That’s not necessary,” he answered firmly. “All purchase histories are stored electronically. Just give me a moment to get to my computer in the office so I can look it up.” He snatched the paper with the messy scrawl and disappeared through the doorway without another word.

Nick chuckled once the man was gone and took to looking around the shop, pacing away from the counter while Jillian stepped up beside Brian. “Your scare tactic about gave the man a heart attack,” she mentioned.

“It wasn’t a scare tactic,” Brian told her, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “He doesn’t want the extra trouble just as much as we don’t want to go through the hassle of all the paperwork needed to get a warrant issued. As it is, this shop is going to be under scrutiny now simply because of association. Just trying to soften the blow. If he’s willing to hand over the information without a warrant, that’s on him. We’ll also need to get a written statement and run a background check.”

Jillian looked upward towards the ceiling, turning in place as she took note of the security cameras that were placed strategically around the shop. “It wouldn’t hurt to get that warrant after all, Detective,” she suggested with a motion of her hand upwards. “Security footage will help corroborate the purchase history.”

Brian looked up as well, nodding in agreement. “That’s not a bad idea…” he mumbled in thought.

The man stepped back through the doorway a short time later, several pieces of paper grasped in his hand. “I specifically remember this guy,” he explained and set the papers on the counter. “Tall skinny kid, African American, really lanky, short cropped hair, came in about three or so months ago.”

Nick reappeared at Brian’s side just as he drew the papers close. “Did he say anything in particular that stood out?”

The man shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. “No, not really. I mean, he didn’t know much about guns, but he was really eager to get his hands on one. Anxious, even.”

“And you thought it was a good idea to sell a gun to someone like that?” Nick inquired accusingly.

“His background check came back clear,” the man defended himself immediately. “If he ain’t acting crazy or talking crazy and his background check comes back clean, then I see no reason to turn him away. It’s his constitutional second amendment right.”

“Clearly your judgment is questionable,” Nick scoffed inwardly as he leaned in closer to get a better look at the papers. “We got a name?”

“Zacharias McAllister,” Brian answered, flipping to the next sheet that showed a copy of a driver’s license and social security card. Nick snatched the paper in a harsh manner, causing Brian to frown. “Purchased a 9mm Glock, consistent with the bullets pulled from our victim and the crime scene.”

Nick gripped the paper so tightly, it began to crinkle in his grasp. His eyes were a shade darker. “Let’s put an APB out on this guy. Consider him prime suspect number one.”

Brian looked at him, surprised by his partner’s sudden lead in taking charge. “We’ll want to run his information through the system.”

“Did I help?” the man questioned. “You can keep those papers.”

Nick turned a stealthy glare on the man behind the counter. “Don’t plan on going anywhere. Meaning don’t leave the city.”

“We may need to question you further regarding this case,” Brian added to ease the concern that became apparent on the man’s face. Reaching into his pocket, Brian pulled out his wallet to retrieve his business card, handing it to him. “Your cooperation is appreciated. If you think of anything else, please don’t hesitate to give me a call. Now, Officer Pfeifer here is going to need to get a written statement from you. Officer Pfeifer, we’ll be outside.”

“This won’t take long,” Jillian told the man.

Brian looked to Nick and nodded towards the door across the room. “C’mon, let's step outside and call this in.”

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️

“Brian? Are you still there?”

All at once, the cacophony of sounds surrounding him rushed back into Brian’s ears as somewhere within his clouded consciousness, he registered the sound of Leighanne’s exhausted voice. Frowning to himself, Brian blinked up through the windshield at the towering run down red brick building that loomed across the street.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting in his car across the street from it, only knew it had been a long time. Long enough, that he had managed to lose track of time and the vast majority of his awareness, despite the fact that he had been involved in an apparent conversation over the phone with his wife that he couldn’t recall a single moment of. Brian’s distraction was pure and uncontainable, and had been since halfway through the day, a day that seemed never ending, dragging on more sluggishly as the seconds passed. The only problem remaining was that he couldn’t seem to shut his mind off long enough to slow down.

Maybe there was a part of him that hated the idea of slowing down…

“Babe…”

Inhaling deeply, Brian rubbed a hand over his face, trying to collect himself. “Sorry, I’m here,” he murmured in response.

“You sound exhausted, Brian Thomas,” Leighanne chided him out of concern. “Just go home and sleep. I can call Baylee to pick me up.”

“No!” Brian answered sharply, only to release a hard sigh of embarrassment. “No, I’m fine, really. I’m already on my way to the airport right now. Just getting on the interstate. I’ll be there before your flight lands. I promise.”

It didn’t phase Brian much when Leighanne’s extended silence made it clear she wasn’t easily convinced by his assurance, not that he could really blame her, but his mind was too preoccupied with other matters. And not that he would ever trust admitting it to his wife, but he was more than a little relieved to hear the call for boarding in the background for her flight and barely registered her sigh of frustration.

“Go and board. You’ll be home before you know it,” he told Leighanne before she could formulate a response. His tone of assurance was once again lacking, but he could only hope it would suffice enough to get Leighanne off the phone and onto the plane, allowing Brian the time he needed before he would have to rush in the direction of the airport. “I’ll see you soon...okay?”

“Just drive safe…” Leighanne finally relented. There was a shuffling on her end of the line, signalling that she was on her feet and moving. “I want you in one piece when I see you.”

“When do I not drive safely?” Brian huffed, meaning it as a light show of humor, but the sound was shallow and meaningless. “I love you, Leigh. I’ll see you soon.”

It wasn’t until Brian had disconnected the call that he finally killed the engine and pulled the key from the ignition. The silence that settled over the interior of the car was heavy and thick, enough so that Brian could almost imagine it as a black swirling mass closing in around him. Almost as suffocating as the humidity outside, Brian’s brows furled and he pushed the driver’s door open to climb out and away from the troublesome silence.

Waiting as a battered early nineties sedan with a loud rattling engine barreled past, Brian jogged across the street towards the dilapidated structure. The late evening hour had left the front entrance vacated, a stark difference from the shady characters who had been loitering at the front the first time Brian had visited the premises. Not wasting a moment upon hesitation, Brian ducked into the building when he reached the door.

The interior of the building was just as he remembered it—cluttered with trash, discarded belongings, and a general lack of care. Brian hadn’t been there in a couple of weeks, but it was clearly apparent that nothing had changed. That also didn’t change the fact of just how unorthodox it was for Brian to be there at that very moment either.

Five days prior, Brian had received a desperate voicemail from Lucia Giacomo, requesting his help in locating her parents. He hadn’t heard from her since. All return calls to the grieving widow had gone unanswered and she had failed to show up at the precinct to meet with him like he had requested of her. 

All things considered, Brian couldn’t shake the inkling of concern that nagged at the back of his mind. He knew very little about the woman, other than the fact that she was married to their victim and that was hardly enough to claim he “knew” her, but something told him Lucia wouldn’t have called asking for his help if she didn’t truly want it or need it. Granted, it was against protocol to visit the residence of a person involved in a case without prior authorization outside of active investigation and generally speaking, it was frowned upon. Chances were, Brian would most likely catch Hell from Captain Halverson once his superior caught wind of his conduct. That was the least of Brian’s worries right then, though, and as he began to ascend the staircase towards the third floor, he allowed the thought to flee from his mind.

Lucia lived in apartment 3B, from what he remembered, located on the top floor of the multi-story apartment building. It didn’t take long for him to make it to the top of the three flights of stairs and glancing at his watch to check the time, he slowly began to make his way down the dimly lit hallway. Just like from the first visit, the lights flickered overhead and the narrow hallway was even more cluttered than he remembered it being, with bags of trash sitting outside closed doorways and childrens’ toys seemingly abandoned sporadically along the duty hardwood flooring. Thankfully, though, Brian was the only one roaming the hallway. The less distraction and confrontation, the better.

Halfway down the hall, he came to a stop outside of the door for apartment 3B and hesitated a moment before lifting a loosely closed fist to knock on the door. However, no sooner had Brian’s knuckles come in contact with the wood of the door, did it slightly open inward with a cringe-worthy creak that had him frowning with instant elevated concern. Brows furling, Brian carefully nudged the door open further into the darkened apartment, his other hand immediately reaching for the gun in the holster at his hip out of instinct.

“Mrs. Giacomo?” Brian called out before taking a hesitant step forward across the threshold of the doorway. He unlatched the holster as he took another step, pulling the gun free with a steady grip. “Mrs. Giacomo, it’s Detective Littrell.”

Silence was an ominous answer as Brian made his way deeper into the apartment. Nothing about the atmosphere felt right with the lack of answer and the fact that the door had been unlocked and unlatched. Keeping the gun poised, he reached into his pocket and grabbed for his phone, turning on the flashlight to better survey his surroundings. Everything was a mess, an utter mess that lay in tattered disarray around him. It didn’t take training to immediately know that something about the scene was incredibly wrong.

Carefully and keeping his steps quiet, Brian turned and moved towards the hallway off to his right. The beam of the light from his phone was hardly sufficient, but he quickly took notice of the picture frames laying shattered in the middle of the hallway hardwood floor. He could only surmise they had been knocked off, much in the same manner some of the furniture had been knocked about in the living room. And as the beam of light swept over the floor, Brian noticed how it caught the reflection of several tiny dry crimson splatters.

Blood. There was no denying it.

Brian hurried down the hallway to what he assumed was the bedroom doorway at the end.

Empty.

There was one thing Brian became certain of in that moment: Lucia Giacomo wasn’t there and hadn’t been for some time.

As his frown deepened, Brian quickly connected to a number on his phone without further thought, waiting for the call to be answered.

“This is Detective Brian Littrell. I’m on the 5500 block of West Catalpa, at Haven Ridge Apartments, third floor, 3B,” he rattled off to the voice on the other end of the line. “Checking the welfare of a Lucia Giacomo. Resulting in the discovery of a potential crime scene and missing person. Requesting backup.”


End file.
